BJP suffers major defeat in Tripura Tribal Council polls

TIPRA won 18 of 28 seats while BJP and its ally won only nine seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday suffered a major setback as it was defeated in tribal council polls in Tripura, where the party rules in alliance with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT). The Tripura Autonomous District Council (ADC) polls were won by a new party, The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA). It won 18 of 28 seats while the BJP and its ally won only nine seats. The other seat was won by an independent candidate.

The Council consists of 30 seats, of which 28 are elected and two nominated by the Governor. In the last ADC election that was held in May 2015, the CPIM-led Left Front had swept the table by winning 25 seats. However, the Left Front and the Congress failed to win any seats this time.

TIPRA is led by Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman who earlier was the President of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr Barman had resigned from the post over differences with the Congress 'high command' and thereafter he had formed TIPRA.