oppn parties Tripura: NDA Storms Back In Close Fight

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  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
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  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
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  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Tragedy in Kolkata: Stampede at the Chor Bagan Pujo results in 18 people losing their lives and scores injured /////// The stampede was caused by a sudden downpour which made people in the heavy crowd run for cover
oppn parties
Tripura: NDA Storms Back In Close Fight

By Linus Garg
First publised on 2023-03-02 07:54:15

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.

Although the BJP-led alliance is likely to cross the half-way mark and will, in all probability, form the government again, the Tripura elections have been closer than what the exit polls had suggested. With renewed support for the Left, which is aligned this time with the Congress (which has also done well, given that it was totally decimated last time) and debutant Tipra Motha performing well as expected, there were close fights in all seats. The Trinamool Congress, which fielded candidates in 28 seats, in not likely to win any.

While the Left, in alliance with the Congress, seems to have held on to its bastions, the BJP-IPFT alliance has suffered reverses at the hands of Tipra Motha which is poised to gain all the seats the NDA is expected to lose. This is a huge win for the new party which had spurned advances from both the NDA and the Left to align with them. With this performance, the Motha has cemented its place in Tripura's polity and is likely to emerge as a stronger force in the years to come.

While the BJP might claim that its performance means that it is a pro-incumbency vote, the fact remains that the tribal vote has swung from away from its ally, the IPFT, to the Tipra Motha. This fact was proved in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council elections in 2021 when the Motha won 18 seats and the NDA alliance only 9. The BJP had then unsuccessfully tried to form an alliance with the Motha. There are 20 seats in the state where the tribal vote can swing the result.

With the Tipra Motha charting an independent course, elections in Tripura will henceforth be three-cornered if the Left-Congress alliance continues or four-cornered if it breaks as Congress will then contest on its own. The TMC, it seems, has thrown the towel for now and is not taking Tripura seriously. In the event of division in opposition votes, the NDA will have it easy but if the Tipra Motha forms an alliance with the Left, it will seriously challenge the NDA in future. 

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