Delhi (India), February 17, 2023: BJP is bracing for a tough battle in the upcoming Tripura assembly elections as it takes on a united opposition of the Congress and the CPI(M). However, given its leadership and cadre presence in the state, the party seems all set to clutch the state.
Barring UP and a few exceptions, the saffron party has been unable to win polls whenever it has had to take on a united opposition and is now desperate for a win in Tripura. However, it is now fighting Tripura polls with all its might and have send star campaigners to the electoral battlefield.
The situation though has become even more challenging after the opposition alliance received the tacit support of Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarman, the erstwhile Tripuri royal scion behind the revival of tribal politics in the state.
The BJP is seemingly anxious about this pre-poll alliance by the opposition in the northeastern state. Though most senior BJP leaders publicly exude confidence in returning to power in the 60-member legislative assembly, in private discussions they are worried about the opposition’s newfound bonhomie.
The BJP feels that a three-cornered contest would have ensured a smooth comeback for it and led to a division of opposition votes. But a united opposition will ensure that the anti-BJP votes remain consolidated and may end up hurting its prospects.
The party has been unable to win any state poll when it has faced candidates put up by a united opposition. Examples include West Bengal and Jharkhand in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The coming together of opposition ranks is being considered a strategic failure of the party, however it is trying its best to minimise the impact. In the past, the party has been able to thwart similar attempts at uniting anti-BJP votes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra assembly polls.
A fractured opposition vote ensures that the BJP’s battle is won even before the first vote is cast. However, the failure of strategists to stop opposition alliances could mean that the party may be staring at defeat or having a close shave.
The BJP will need to ensure that it works on creating fissures among different opposition parties if it wants to secure a victory in Tripura and continue its winning streak in elections.
The party will also need to strategize for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it will look for small regional outfits or work out an understanding with its previous allies in at least one of the states.
