Tipra Motha's 'secret understanding' with BJP led to our defeat: CPI(M)

Speaking to ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy, senior CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah said his party had not expected this result as they had worked hard for years. "Entry of Tipra Montha in the election benefited the BJP," he said.

New Delhi: Following the second consecutive defeat of Left Front parties in the Tripura Assembly election, a senior CPI(M) leader told ETV Bharat in New Delhi that Tipra Motha is one of the major reasons for the defeat of the party.

In Tripura, BJP+ crossed the halfway mark winning at least 33 seats followed by CPI (M)-led left that won 14. Tipra Motha, which analysts thought would play kingmaker in case of a hung assembly, won 13. "Yes, Tipra Motha is one of the major reasons for our defeat," said former MP and senior member of the central committee of CPI(M)Hannan Mollah.

Stating that such an election result was not expected, Mollah said that CPM workers worked hard for the last five years. "Our party workers worked hard. In fact, the BJP government in Tripura had been creating an environment of terror and they also fabricated thousands of our cadres in false cases," said Mollah.

He said that the party was expecting a good result this time. "Entry of Tipra Montha in the election benefited the BJP. Both the parties (BJP and Tipra Motha) had a 'behind closed doors understanding' before the election," said Mollah. He said that Tipra Motha divided the CPM vote bank.

"In many constituencies, we have been defeated with a very close margin. In some pockets where we were confident, Tipra Motha divided our votes," said Mollah. Numbers show that in many constituencies, BJP candidates defeated their CPM rivals by less than 600-650 votes.

The final results of assembly polls in Tripura, along with Meghalaya and Nagaland, will officially be declared by today evening. While Tripura went to polls on February 16, Meghalaya and Nagaland voted on February 27. The elections mark the first round of the polls this year, setting the stage for the big show, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, all recorded healthy voter turnouts of 87.76%, 85.27%, and 85.90% respectively. In all these states, the BJP has replaced Congress as the dominant national party.