• The BJP returned to power in Tripura for its second consecutive term with a narrow victory over its opponents: the Left-Congress combine and the TIPRA Motha.
  • In a triangular contest that added a new twist to the election, the BJP and the IPFT together secured 40.23 per cent of the votes; while the CPI(M) and the Congress combine got around 35 per cent, and TIPRA Motha 22 per cent.
  • The saffron party managed to overcome a strong anti-incumbency at the ground level and a new political force in the form of TIPRA Motha was threatening to turn the political dynamics in the State on its head.
  • Over the past two years, Motha has emerged as the strongest political force among the tribals who constitute around 30 per cent of the population.