With the Lok Sabha polls ensuing, ruling BJP ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura launched strategic campaigns aiming to gain more political ground and ensure a comfortable victory in two Lok Sabha seats in the State.
As part of its ongoing aggressive expansion plan, the safrron party, once again, managed to orchestrate a significant shift in allegiance in the indigenous community-dominated Nakshiprai ADC village, located in the East Tripura (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. According to party sources, a total of 675 voters from 237 families pledged their support to the BJP on Thursday, in the presence of the party’s sitting MP for the East LS constituency, Rebati Tripura.
Tribal Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma and MLA Pinaki Das Choudhury were among the notable attendees at the today’s joining event. Party sources also claimed most of the new entrants were TIPRA Motha supporters.
BJP leaders took the opportunity to emphasize the inclusive developmental initiatives of the Prime Minister Modi-led Government. Rebati Tripura highlighted that no other parties, except for the BJP, had planned and worked for the holistic development of tribal people. He noted that while some members of the tribal communities were initially swayed by words like Thangsa, Tiprasa etc, they have since recognized the disillusionment and are increasingly supporting the BJP for their welfare in a sustainable manner.
Agartala-based political analysts opined even though the Lok Sabha poll schedule is yet to be announced, the BJP has already made a strong start in Tripura. Their well-planned and aggressive campaign, highlighting the developmental activities of the Modi government and India’s rising global stature, has positioned them as front-runners in the upcoming LS Polls campaign.
The top brass of the State BJP, including the MPs and the Chief Minister, are regularly holding programs across the State to stay connected with the people, underscoring the ‘Modi Guarantee’.
In contrast, Opposition parties are yet to come out in a big way with any concrete plan or strategy to launch a counter-campaign. The main opposition in the State TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) is still in the loop of ‘Delhi talks for constitutional demands’. The Kok Borok script issue created an opportunity for the TMP to engage its supporters, but the government was quick to take away the stem from the agitation by agreeing to maintain status quo. The government decision not just deprived of gaining any significant political mileage, but earned the level of ‘being considerate’ about the Kok Borok-speaking people.
For the Tripura Pradesh Congress, the situation appears to be grim. Recent setbacks in the INDI Alliance and poll debacles in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan seem to have dealt a demoralising blow to their supporters.
The Leftists, who once had a strong presence in the State, are currently in their worst phase. In 2018, the IPFT snatched the tribal voters from the Leftists, and later, the TIPRA Motha, riding on the tribal votes, relegated the CPIM to the third position in the State Assembly. At present, CPIM is struggling to win back its tribal support.
Apart from the tribal communities, the Leftists’ main support base was farmers and working-class people. During its rule, the CPIM highlighted the plights of the farmers and poor people and criticised the government, but failed to implement effective measures like paddy procurement and the Jan Arogya Yojana expansion. Their inability to solve at least some of the problems is what turned people away from the Red Party.