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Tripura’s Fragile Alliance: Tipra Motha’s Aggression Puts BJP in an Unprecedented Bind

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
  • Sep 24, 2025
  • 869

The recent spate of violent incidents in Tripura has raised urgent questions about the sustainability of the BJP–Tipra Motha alliance. What began as a strategic partnership to consolidate tribal votes ahead of the state elections has now evolved into open confrontation—exposing fault lines that threaten to destabilize governance itself.

1. The Timing of Violence

The two incidents surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit were not coincidental.

Before the visit:

Tipra Motha cadres allegedly attacked BJP workers in Hejamara, injuring senior leaders, including Janajati Morcha vice-president Mangal Debbarma.

After the visit:

A BJP office was set ablaze in Mandai, followed by the shocking act of burning the Prime Minister’s photograph.


The chronology suggests a deliberate attempt by Tipra Motha to project defiance both before and after the Prime Minister’s presence in the state—a symbolic demonstration of its independent political muscle.

2. Alliance Politics Under Stress

Tipra Motha entered the alliance with BJP as a partner, but the ground reality shows them behaving more like a competitor. While BJP views itself as the dominant ruling party, Tipra Matha has consistently tried to assert itself as the voice of indigenous communities.

For BJP, such aggression is embarrassing—especially when coming from an ally rather than opposition.

For Tipra Motha, this confrontation could be a calculated risk to consolidate tribal support by distancing itself from BJP’s “mainstream” image.


3. The Chief Minister’s Warning

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha’s statement at GB Hospital carried unmistakable undertones of frustration: “A partner party must behave like a partner. The law will prevail.”
This rhetoric indicates that BJP is unwilling to tolerate repeated embarrassments but also reluctant to break the alliance outright, fearing loss of tribal votes in upcoming elections.

4. Public Perception and the Risk Factor

The optics of a ruling party being attacked by its own ally are damaging. Burning the Prime Minister’s image is not only a local-level provocation but also a national embarrassment for BJP.

To BJP supporters, this raises doubts about the party’s control over its own partners.

To Tipra Motha supporters, however, the act may symbolize courage and defiance, strengthening their grassroots appeal.


5. The Road Ahead

The BJP–Tipra Motha alliance appears to be standing on shaky ground:

If BJP cracks down hard, it risks alienating tribal voters.

If BJP remains silent, it risks appearing weak before its cadre and the public.

For Tipra Motha, escalation might yield immediate political gains but could eventually isolate it at the national level.


Conclusion

Tripura today is witnessing an unprecedented phenomenon: a ruling alliance partner turning its weapons—both literal and symbolic—against the dominant party.

This is no longer just about village committee elections; it is about the credibility of coalition politics itself.

Whether this alliance limps forward or collapses spectacularly will define the trajectory of Tripura’s politics in the near future. But one thing is clear—the BJP is caught in a dilemma it has rarely faced elsewhere in India: under attack not from the opposition, but from within its own house.