Tripura CM Orders Crackdown After Post-Poll Violence Hits TTAADC Areas

AGARTALA — Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has directed police authorities to take strict action against those responsible for post-poll violence that erupted across parts of the state following the declaration of results for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

The elections, held on April 12, saw the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) — an ally of the ruling BJP — retain control of the council for a second consecutive term, winning 24 of the 28 elected seats. The BJP managed only four.

Violence Follows Results; CM Calls High-Level Meeting

A series of violent incidents were reported from different parts of Tripura after results were declared on April 17, with BJP workers and supporters among those affected.

After visiting party workers who had taken shelter at a hostel in Agartala, Saha — who also holds the Home portfolio — said such incidents would not be tolerated.

"Today, I will hold a meeting with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and other senior officials to review the situation," he told the media.

He added that intimidation, violence, and terror tactics could not suppress the BJP, and reaffirmed the party's commitment to peace, democracy, and the rule of law.

Also Read: BJP Confident of Win in Bengal, Says Manik Saha

Relief Approved for 258 Affected Families

Saha announced that 258 families would be supported in the first phase of relief operations.

In a Facebook post, he confirmed that Rs 64.50 lakh had been approved from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to provide assistance to those displaced or affected by the violence.

He also invoked the Tripura Recovery of Damages to Public Property Act 2021, stating that individuals responsible for damage to public property would be held accountable, with compensation recovered and distributed among affected families.

BJP Alleges Homes Vandalised, Workers Displaced

State BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee, also a Rajya Sabha member, visited the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel in Agartala, where a number of displaced party workers have taken refuge.

He alleged that several hundred BJP workers and supporters had been rendered homeless following the results, and claimed that the house of BJP candidate Abhijit Debbarma in the Jirania constituency in West Tripura was vandalised, with his parents allegedly attacked by suspected TMP supporters.

TMP Chief Urges Restraint

TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, a former royal scion, also broke his silence — urging his party workers to step back from violence.

"We should fight against Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. We should not fight among ourselves. If one community fights another, it will be damaging for all of us," he said.

Why the TTAADC Matters

The TTAADC is no minor institution. The 30-member council — 28 elected, two nominated by the state government — administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura's geographical area of 10,491 sq km, making it the second most important constitutional body in the state after the Legislative Assembly.

The TMP has governed the council since 2021. Despite being coalition partners in the state government, the BJP and TMP contested the April 12 polls separately after failing to reach an electoral understanding — a split that has added a layer of political tension to the post-result unrest.