Agartala, Mar 3: For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this was a super saffron Saturday as the lotus bloomed in parts where it had minimal electoral presence till the erstwhile elections. Apart from making inroads in Meghalaya and placing itself as the centrifugal force to the form the new government in Nagaland, the BJP did the unthinkable -- annihilating the Manik Sarkar-led Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] in their bastion of Tripura.

The CPI(M), which had been ruling the frontier state for past 25 years with a brute majority, succumbed to the Chalo Paltai (Lets Bring Change) wave of the BJP. From 50 seats in the outgoing assembly, the Left Front has been reduced to 19.

On the other hand, the BJP, which had never won an assembly constituency in Tripura, succeeded in wresting the assembly with a two-third majority.

Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the sweeping victory, BJP's Northeast incharge Ram Madhav said, "Our PM had been constantly monitoring the preparation of elections in Tripura since the past two years."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, who had campaigned extensively for the BJP in Tripura, said, "The poll outcome shows that people were frustrated with the Manik sarkar government. By voting out the Left, they have ended the 'Red' terror," he was reported as saying.

Tripura Assembly Election 2018 Results*

Party Won Leading Total
Bharatiya Janata Party 0 33 33
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 0 18 18
Indigenousn People's Front Of Tripura 3 5 8
Total 3 56 59

* The results table corresponds to the data provided by the Election Commission by the time this report was first published.

The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura, the anti-Left tribal outfit which joined hands with the BJP ahead of the polls, succeeded in bagging over 8 per cent of the votes. The party won 8 of the 9 tribal seats it contested, whereas, the BJP wrested six other reserved constituencies.

In the 2013 polls, all the 20 constituencies reserved for tribals were won by the CPI(M).

Although the CPI(M) was yet to issue an official statement on the poll verdict, the Communist Party of India (CPI), which was part of the united Left Front in Tripura, said "corrective measures" would be taken.

"We accept the defeat, but our struggle is not over. There will be no other CM like Manik Sarkar. No one can doubt his integrity and honesty," said CPI spokesperson Atul Anjaan.

The BJP, on the other hand, said the Left's "deliberate attempt" to keep people poor has forced Tripura "to vote them out". "Finally Tripura will be on the path of development," added BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 03, 2018 02:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).