Agartala, September 21: The BJP will support Tipra Motha candidates in constituencies where they are directly pitted against the CPI(M) or Congress, Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Monday, outlining the ruling alliance's strategy ahead of the upcoming elections.
Nath said BJP voters would be encouraged to support Tipra Motha in such constituencies as part of an effort to prevent the CPI(M) and Congress from making political gains. He described the move as a strategy against what he termed “anti-state ideologies.”
According to Nath, the understanding would work both ways. In constituencies where the BJP is directly contesting against the CPI(M) or Congress, Tipra Motha has advised its supporters not to back those opposition parties, he said.
The minister, however, stressed that the final decision would rest with voters. He also claimed that the CPI(M) and Congress had lost organisational strength in Tripura and questioned their ability to make significant electoral gains.
Referring to the 2026 TTAADC elections, Nath pointed to the results as an indication of the present electoral position of the opposition. Tipra Motha won 24 of the 28 elected seats, while the BJP secured the remaining four; the CPI(M) and Congress did not win any seats.
Nath rejected suggestions that opposition parties were being denied a level playing field, arguing that electoral performance depended on public support, organisational strength and an active cadre network.
Recalling his own political experience, the minister said he had won panchayat elections when the CPI(M) was in government. He argued that administrative control alone could not determine an election if voters supported a candidate.
Nath also claimed that the opposition parties had comparatively limited support among younger voters and continued to depend largely on traditional supporters. He said voters had experienced different governments over the years and would assess the performance of the BJP-led NDA government.
At the same time, Nath acknowledged that voters could also reject the BJP, Tipra Motha or IPFT if they failed to meet public expectations.
His remarks come amid continuing coordination and seat-level adjustments among the BJP and Tipra Motha ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council Village Committee elections, where the two alliance partners have also faced some contests against each other.
