By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 18, 2026
Agartala, April 18 (FD) The Tipra Motha Party registered a resounding victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, securing 24 of the 28 seats and consolidating its dominance in the tribal belt.
Party founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma described the outcome as a mandate of the people rather than a personal triumph. Addressing the media, he said the result demonstrated that a regional party rooted in indigenous aspirations could prevail over larger political forces by focusing on rights, identity, and the future of coming generations.
The outcome, however, drew sharp reactions from opposition parties. Jitendra Chaudhury, the Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) questioned the verdict, claiming it did not fully reflect the ground realities in ADC areas. He attributed the consolidation of tribal votes in favour of Tipra Motha to the political positioning of Chief Minister Manik Saha.
Chaudhury maintained that the CPI (M) witnessed a degree of electoral revival, with several candidates narrowly missing victory. He also alleged that the ruling party in the council had limited developmental achievements over the past five years and relied more on emotional mobilisation than governance performance. While refraining from alleging direct electoral malpractice, he raised concerns over what he termed administrative irregularities within the ADC framework.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, Ashish Kumar Saha termed the result a clear reflection of tribal sentiment, stating that indigenous communities continue to maintain a strong emotional connect with Tipra Motha. He added that the Congress would persist in advocating tribal welfare while urging all stakeholders to maintain peace and stability in the aftermath of the polls.
Senior Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman, meanwhile, attributed the BJP’s poor showing in the hills to internal factionalism. He alleged that infighting within the Bharatiya Janata Party, coupled with what he described as a personality-driven campaign approach, contributed significantly to the outcome.
According to Roy Barman, these factors triggered an emotional wave in favour of Tipra Motha, effectively eroding the BJP’s base in ADC areas. He, however, noted that efforts to highlight development initiatives among tribal communities had yielded limited impact. FD JK