Tripura Assembly Election Result 2023 Live Updates: The counting of votes for the Tripura Assembly election began at 8 am on Thursday, 2 March.
The state had gone to polls on 16 February. A massive voter turnout of 87.6 percent was recorded in the election.
The ruling BJP faces the Left-Congress alliance on one hand and the TIPRA Motha Party on the other.
The BJP contested from 55 seats while its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), fielded candidates from six constituencies. The Congress fought from 13 seats, while its ally, the CPI(M), contested 47. TIPRA Motha fielded candidates in 42 seats.
BJP and its ally IPFT have inched closer to the halfway mark in the 60-seat Assembly in Tripura, as per the latest trends from ECI
TIPRA Motha, led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, is likely to play kingmaker if Tripura faces an upset in the election results
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been clamped across Tripura
'Vote For Progress & Stability': PM Modi
"This is a vote for progress and stability, BJP will continue to boost state's growth trajectory," says PM Modi on Party's Win in Tripura.
BJP-IPFT Alliance Wins
BJP-IPFT alliance wins 33 seats in Tripura, secures second term. The BJP-IPFT together has so far won 31 seats and are leading on another 2 seats.
BJP State Chief Trailing in Banamalipur
BJP state chief Rajib Bhattacharjee was trailing by 1,369 votes in the Banamalipur seat as Congress candidate Gopal Roy took a lead, according to EC results at 4.30pm.
BJP Wins 28 Seats, Leading In Another 4
According to the Election Commission website at 4:16 pm, the BJP has won 28 seats and is leading in another 4.
Celebrations Break Out At BJP Office In Agartala
Celebrations break out at BJP office in Agartala as the party is all set to retain power in the state. CM Manik Saha, former CM and party MP Biplab Deb and party leader Sambit Patra also joined in the celebrations.
BJP Wins 18 Seats, Leads In Another 15
According to the Election Commission website at 2:58 pm, the BJP has won 18 seats and is leading in another 15.
BJP Wins 16 Seats, Leads In Another 17
According to the Election Commission website at 2:50 pm, the BJP has won 16 seats and is leading in another 17.
CM Manik Saha Wins Town Bardowali
Chief Minister Manik Saha wins from town Bardowali with a margin of 1,257 votes.
"I am feeling good and after winning I am getting this winning certificate so what can be better than this," he said.
Sabroom: CPI(M) State Secretary Wins
CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury wins Sabroom seat by 343 votes.
Leads Indicate Victory For BJP
According to the Election Commission website as of 1:45 pm, the BJP was leading in 28 seats and won five seats, while its partner IPFT won one seat.
The TIPRA Motha, which seemed to have grabbed the IPFT's tribal support, was leading in 10 seats and won two seats. Meanwhile, the Left-Congress alliance was ahead in 14 seats.
The CPI(M) state office at Melar Math and the state Congress headquarters started getting empty as the day progressed with party workers who gathered in the morning returning home, news agency PTI has reported.
Celebrations Begin Outside BJP's Office in Tripura
Final Results Trickle In
IPFT candidate Sukla Charan Noatia has won from the Jolaibari seat, defeating CPI(M)'s Debendra Tripura by a thin margin of 375 votes.
BJP's Antara Sarkar Deb defeated CPI(M)'s Hiranmay Narayan Debnath by over 1,700 votes in the Kamalasagar seat.
BJP's Ratan Lal Nath won from the Mohanpur seat, defeating TIPRA Motha's Tapas Dey by a margin of over 7,300 votes.
BJP's Pramod Reang won from Santirbazar seat, defeating TIPRA Motha candidate Harendra Reang by over 4,000 votes.
TIPRA Motha's Brishaketu Debbarma registered a victory in Simna seat over CPI(M)'s Kumodh Debbarma by a significant margin of nearly 17,000 votes.
Will BJP have The First Shot At Forming The Govt?
'Will Accept All Demands Of TIPRA, But Greater Tipraland': BJP
Tripura BJP chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty on 3 February told news agency PTI that the party is "ready to accept all demands of TIPRA Motha, except for Greater Tipraland."
Bimanjoy Reang Leads From Kanchanpur
Independent candidate Bimanjoy Reang leads from Kanchanpur. He is a former BJP leader who contested as an Independent as the seat was allotted to IPFT. He is likely to rejoin the party.
BJP Leads in Charilam Constituency
Tripura's Deputy Chief Minister and BJP candidate Jishnu Dev Varma is leading in Charilam constituency. TIPRA candidate Subodh Deb Barma is a close second, followed by Congress' Ashok Deb Barma, as per the latest trends by Election Commission. Counting is still underway.
Sabroom Seat Witnesses Tight Contest
The Sabroom Assembly constituency in South Tripura is witnessing a close contest, with CPI(M) candidate Jitendra Chaudhury leading over BJP's Sankar Roy by a wafer-thin margin of over 100 votes.
Chaudhury is touted to be the chief ministerial candidate of the Left-Congress alliance.
BJP Leads in Dhanpur: Early Trends
BJP candidate Pratima Bhoumik is leading from the Dhanpur Assembly constituency. CPI(M) candidate Kaushik Chanda is a close second, followed by TIPRA's Amiya Dayal Noatia, as per Election Commission Trends.
Tripura CM Manik Saha Tweets Ahead of Poll Results
Manik Saha Leads From Town Bardowali
Incumbent Tripura Chief Minister and BJP candidate Manik Saha is leading from the Town Bardowali constituency. He is closely being trailed by Congress candidate Asish Kumar Saha, as per Election Commission trends.
What Early Trends Indicate
Congress Leads in Agartala
In the Agartala Assembly constituency, Congress candidate Sudip Roy Barman is leading, followed by BJP's Papia Dutta, as per the Election Commission of India.
BJP Leads in 30 Seats: ECI Trends
As per the trends from the Election Commission of India at 11:15 am, the BJP and its allies are leading in 30 seats, while the Congress-Left Front alliance is leading in 17 seats. Meanwhile, TIPRA Motha is leading in 12 seats.
Here Are Key Constituencies/Candidates To Watch Out For
Town Bordowali - Manik Saha (BJP)
Charilam - Jishnu Deb Barman (BJP) vs Subodh Deb Barma (TIPRA)
Sabroom - Jitendra Chaudhury (CPM)
Kailashahar - Birajit Sinha (Congress)
Dhanpur - Pratima Bhowmik (BJP)
Banamalipur - Rajib Bhattacharjee (BJP)
Ramchandraghat - Ranjit Deb Barma (TIPRA)
BJP Nears Halfway Mark: Early Trends
Early trends as of 11 am indicate BJP winning in 31 of the total 60 assembly seats in Tripura, hovers over the halfway mark. Meanwhile, the Congress and TIPRA Motha are neck-and-neck with the former getting 16 seats and the latter leading in 12 seats.
BJP workers gather outside the party office during counting of votes for Tripura Assembly elections, in Agartala, on Thursday, 2 March, 2023.
(Photo: PTI)
Margin Narrows Between BJP+ And Left-Cong
As per early trends at 10:30 am, BJP is leading in 28 seats while the Left-Congress alliance is leading in 19 seats. TIPRA Motha, meanwhile, is leading in 13 seats.
TIPRA Motha Likely To Be Kingmaker?
As per early trends, BJP and its allies are leading in 31 seats as of 10:15 am. Meanwhile, Congress-Left alliance is leading in 16 seats and TIPRA Motha is leading in 12 seats.
"If the BJP-IPFT alliance falls below 30 and the Left-Congress combine and TIPRA Motha come together, there could be a post-poll upset in Tripura. But based on present trends, BJP may still get the first shot at forming the government from the Governor," said Aditya Menon, Political Editor at The Quint.
Town Bardowali Witnesses Close Contest
Incumbent CM and BJP candidate Manik Saha is leading from Town Bardowali assembly constituency, as per early trends. Congress' Ashish Kumar Saha is a close second, with a margin of nearly 300 votes.
Check Leads Here:
Who Is Contesting?
As many as 259 candidates of different political parties are in the fray in the Tripura Assembly election.
Chief Minister Manik Saha is contesting from Town Bardowali constituency, while Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik is fighting from Dhanpur in Sepahijala district. CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury is contesting from Sabroom seat.
For the first time, the Left Front is contesting the state Assembly elections with its erstwhile rival, Congress.
In the previous Assembly polls, the BJP had won 36 seats, while its ally IPFT had bagged 18 constituencies. The CPI(M)-led Left Front had won in 16 seats, while the Congress had drawn a blank.
BJP Maintains Lead in Tripura: Early Trends Show
Trends at 9:15 am have indicated that the BJP is leading in 41 of the total 60 Assembly seats in Tripura. The Congress-Left alliance is leading in 13 seats, while TIPRA Motha is leading in six seats.
Poll officials sort postal ballots to begin the counting of votes for the Assembly elections at a centre, in Agartala on Thursday, 2 March.
(Photo: PTI)
89.98% Voter Turnout in 16 Feb Polls
A total of 89.98 percent of 28.12 lakh voters exercised their franchise during polling on 16 February.
"Counting of votes is taking place at 21 locations. There will be around five to eight rounds of counting. The trends are expected to be clear around noon," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao said.
Security personnel conducted flag marches in different areas of Agartala as a confidence-building measure, news agency PTI has reported.
Here's How BJP and Left Parties Have Performed in Previous Elections
Prohibitory Orders Across Tripura: CEO
A total of 25,000 security personnel have been deployed in Tripura to maintain law and order, news agency PTI has reported.
"Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been clamped across the state from 6 pm on 1 March to 6 am on 3 March to prevent any untoward incident, but essential services and examinees have been kept out of its purview," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao said.
BJP Up in 35 Seats: Early Leads
Early leads show BJP leading in 35 seats, while Congress leads in 4 seats. Meanwhile, TIPRA Motha is leading on 5 seats
Churn in Tripura's Indigenous Politics
A key narrative that has shaped politics in the northeastern states is the demand to protect the rights of the indigenous people of the region, against migrants from outside.
Tripura, however, is the only state where migrants (Bengali-speaking refugees who came after Partition) are in a clear majority.
The non-tribal population in Tripura has increased from about 45 percent, at the time of Independence, to around 70 percent now.
When the Congress was the dominant party in Tripura in the 1960s and early 1970s, the indigenous people increasingly looked towards the Communist parties to assert their political demands.
Read more here.
TIPRA Is a Force To Watch Out for & BJP Knows This. Here's Why
The BJP's top leaders aren't attacking the Left, the Congress or the Trinamool Congress as much as they seem to be targeting a new player in the state's politics – the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance or the TIPRA Motha, led by Pradyot Manikya Deb Barma, the head of the Tripura royal family.
So why is the BJP attacking TIPRA so much? What makes this four-year-old outfit the party to watch out for in these elections? Click here to know more.
BJP Faces a Joint Congress and Left Force
For the first time in Tripura, the Congress and Left have come together to take on the BJP in the Assembly elections. Tripura's Assembly has 60 seats.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)