Post-poll violence in Tripura: Government announces Rs 64.5 lakh relief for 258 displaced families

A large group of families allegedly displaced by the violence has taken shelter at the government-run Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel in Agartala. Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the shelter late Monday evening and interacted with the families.

Speaking to reporters later, Saha said reports of violence had begun surfacing even as the government was reviewing election results. He added that he was in constant touch with the police and administrative officials despite being away for campaigning in poll-bound West Bengal and assured that he would hold review meetings with the director general of police (DGP) and take stock of the law and order situation.

CM blames Tipra Motha

The state government has approved Rs 64.50 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support 258 families identified in the first phase as severely affected by the violence. The administration has indicated that further assessments may follow.

Expressing strong displeasure, Saha accused elements linked to the Tipra Motha of being behind the violence. “This cannot continue. It will not be allowed to continue,” Saha said, drawing parallels with similar post-election incidents in 2021 and earlier periods under CPI(M) and Congress rule. The Tipra Motha, he alleged, had sheltered hooligans and was resorting to violence to intimidate voters and discourage political participation in the next election.

The Tipra Motha has been at loggerheads with its ally, the BJP, over the last year due to the non-fulfilment of the much-hyped Tiprasa Accord that was touted to solve the problems faced by the tribals of Tripura.

Warning of strict action, CM Saha said his government was committed to the rule of law and that those involved in political violence would face legal consequences. Invoking the Tripura Recovery of Damages to Public Property Act, 2021, he further said that the cost of damaged property would be recovered from those responsible and redistributed among affected families.

Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma calls for calm

Tipra Motha supremo and scion of Tripura’s erstwhile royal family, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, has issued an appeal for peace through a video message on social media. Urging supporters to refrain from violence, he said that politics should not overshadow shared cultural identity.

Referring to the Garia Puja held across Tripura on Tuesday, Debbarma has called upon people to welcome the displaced families back to their homes and allow them to participate in the festival, emphasising that “our culture is far older than politics”.

Garia Puja, observed by indigenous communities such as the Tripuri and Reangs, is a traditional festival dedicated to Baba Garia, the deity associated with livestock and prosperity, celebrated in mid-April.

Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee (light blue shirt) interacts with party supporters who fled in the wake of post-poll violence and took shelter at Agartala. (Express Photo)

Police action triggers protests

Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhyankar said that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in violence. Legal action has already been initiated over incidents reported on the counting day on April 17, and efforts are underway to identify and prosecute those responsible, he added.

Security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas, with senior officials conducting patrols. While no major fresh incidents have been reported recently, investigations into earlier incidents of violence are ongoing, and charge sheets will be filed after due process, DGP Dhyankar said.

However, police action has also triggered protests in different areas of the state. The arrests of some Tipra Motha supporters in connection with incidents in Khowai and Dhalai districts led to road blockades by aggrieved supporters, who claimed the detainees were falsely implicated due to political affiliation.

Political reactions intensify

Tripura Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Tinku Roy alleged that BJP party offices had been attacked and set on fire in several areas. He also claimed that despite winning multiple elections since 2018, the BJP had not resorted to such actions and urged the Tipra Motha leadership to ensure peace.

Meanwhile, Congress president Asish Saha accused the ruling dispensation of failing to maintain law and order and reiterated that Congress would oppose all forms of violence. However, he did not mince words while criticising the BJP over the political violence, saying the saffron party was no different.

Similarly, CPI(M) state secretary and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury blamed both the BJP and the Tipra Motha for past cases of political violence and demanded strict legal action against all perpetrators, irrespective of political affiliation.

High-stakes political battle ahead

Within three months, village council elections are due in ADC areas as per Supreme Court directives. Both the BJP and the Tipra Motha have begun preparations, mindful that post-poll tensions could influence upcoming results.

Despite the electoral setback, the BJP has signalled that it will regroup. CM Saha had earlier described the ADC result as a “learning opportunity” and indicated that the party would recalibrate its strategy based on the “lessons” it got from the ADC poll results.

The ADC elections were significant not only as a contest for control of tribal governance but also as a test of political equations among the BJP, the Tipra Motha, and the IPFT within the ruling alliance.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) and the Congress—who had allied in previous elections—contested separately this time and are not shying away from continuing their political battle in the tribal areas.

The village council elections, which were last held in Tripura in 2016, have not been held for the last 10 years over different issues—the COVID-19 pandemic, a delay in inclusion of names of Mizoram’s Bru migrants in the electoral rolls, etc. All parties are expected to intensify their outreach to indigenous voters in the run-up to the next Assembly elections, just two years away.