Tripura Assembly Election Results 2018: BJP will win 45 seats, says Himanta

Says merger of Trinamool's Tripura unit with BJP was key factor in the politics of the state as it consolidated opposition and anti-CPI-M votes

The BJP will form the government after winning around 45 seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, Assam Minister and BJP in-charge for the state Himanta Biswa Sarma today said.

The BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) were leading in 41 out of 59 constituencies, according to television reports, with the Left front ahead in 18. The Congress was still to open its account at the time that this article was being uploaded.

"We will be winning 44-45 seats in Tripura. We will form the government," he told reporters here as initial trends indicated that the BJP is leading in 25 seats out the 59 seats where elections were held.

Crediting the favourable results to the hardwork of party workers of Tripura in the last three years, Sarma said merger of Trinamool Congress' Tripura unit with the BJP was the most significant factor in the politics of the Northeastern state as it consolidated the opposition and anti-CPI-M votes.

"People were fed up with the Manik Sarkar government which has been ruling the state for more than two decades and wanted to get rid of the CPI-M rule," he said.

The Assam education minister also said the BJP's alliance with the tribal dominated IPFT has also helped the saffron party.

"Tribal votes in Tripura is around 35 per cent and they voted for the BJP lock, stock and barrel," he said.

Sarma also dismissed the suggestion that the minorities, particularly the Christians in the Northeast, were against the BJP saying the community "wholeheartedly" supported the party.