Veteran Tripura Politician Tapas Dey Passes Away Last Night

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 12, 2026

Veteran Tripura politician and former MLA Tapas Dey passed away late Friday night at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at around 1:45 am at GBP Hospital in Agartala.

Dey had a long political career spanning several decades and served as an MLA from Shalgara. He was associated with the Congress for many years and later joined other political platforms, including Tipra Motha.

His death has been mourned by political leaders, supporters and people who knew him. Tripura has lost a veteran political figure who remained active in public life for decades.

Dey’s political journey was rooted in the turbulent history of post-Partition Tripura. He came to the state in 1965 as a refugee from erstwhile East Pakistan, reportedly carrying only six annas and an unwavering determination to build a life. He later became active in student politics at Tripura Polytechnic and Ram Thakur College, where he was elected General Secretary.

In 1972, Dey won the Shalgara Assembly constituency and became one of the youngest MLAs in Tripura at the time. His victory was announced through All India Radio, marking the beginning of a political career that would span several decades.

For much of his political life, Dey remained associated with the Indian National Congress, where he was particularly close to veteran Congress leader Priyadas Chakraborty. He belonged to a generation of politicians for whom political loyalty was regarded as a matter of principle and personal commitment.

In the later years of his career, however, Dey moved through different political platforms. He was associated with the Tripura Democratic Front before subsequently joining Tipra Motha, where he became a respected senior figure and loyal supporter of party leader Pradyot Kishore Manikya Bahadur.

While political observers sometimes viewed his movement between political formations as a change of allegiance, the tribute described it differently—as a continuing search for political relevance, purpose and a cause to which he could devote his remaining years.

Even after electoral setbacks, Dey did not withdraw from active politics. At the age of 81, he returned to the electoral arena in the 2023 Assembly elections as a Tipra Motha candidate, demonstrating the political determination that had characterised much of his life.

However, the tribute emphasised that the personal relationship between Dey and the Tripurainfo.com Chief Editor Sekhar Dutta abd Editor Jayanta Debnath went far beyond politics.

According to them, Dey frequently entrusted both of them with drafting confidential letters, political communications, appeals and private messages. Dey often communicated his thoughts verbally, leaving the task of putting them into written form as his trusted associates.

For Tripurainfo.com, Dey also had a special connection with the organisation’s Mega Quiz, which began in 2006. According to the Editor, Dey was one of the programme’s sincere supporters and well-wishers and attended the event almost every year after its launch.

His encouragement played an important role in motivating the organisers to continue the Mega Quiz programme, the Editor said, adding that his affection and support for the initiative would remain an enduring memory.

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