“Hands Joined Upstairs, Fists Flying Downstairs”: BJP–TIPRA Motha Alliance Faces Fresh Grassroots Tensions in Dhanpur
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 19, 2026
The political understanding between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Tipra Motha Party ahead of the September 28 TTAADC Village Committee elections is facing another test at the grassroots level, with an alleged attack on a Tipra Motha worker in the Dhanpur Assembly constituency.
According to a statement circulated by Tipra Motha leaders, an alleged attack took place at the residence of Abu Mia, described by the party as a committed Tipra Motha worker, in the Noabari area under Kaichakhla Village Committee of Dhanpur. The allegation is that a group of persons allegedly backed by BJP entered his house and attacked him.
Abu Mia and two others were reportedly seriously injured in the incident. Abu Mia has subsequently been admitted to the Trauma Centre of AGMC and GBP Hospital in Agartala, where he is undergoing treatment.
Tipra Motha leaders, including Shah Alam Mia, visited the hospital to enquire about Abu Mia’s condition and speak with doctors regarding his treatment. The party has demanded a proper investigation and legal action against those responsible.
At present, however, the response of the BJP or the alleged accused to the allegations was not available at the time of publication.
The incident comes at a politically sensitive time. BJP and Tipra Motha have formally entered into an electoral understanding for the upcoming TTAADC Village Committee elections and have finalised a seat-sharing arrangement to contest the polls as NDA partners.
The Village Committee elections cover 587 Village Committees and 4,597 seats, with polling scheduled for September 28.
Despite the alliance at the leadership level, reports of local-level competition and friction have continued to surface. Earlier, the two parties had faced difficulties in coordinating nominations because candidates from both sides had filed papers in several seats before the seat-sharing formula was fully communicated to grassroots workers. The parties subsequently agreed to withdraw excess nominees from overlapping seats.
The scale of the grassroots contest is also evident from the nomination figures. According to reported final figures, Tipra Motha had candidates in 4,279 seats, while the BJP had candidates in 1,853 seats.
The latest Dhanpur allegation has acquired additional political significance because BJP state president Abhishek Debroy reiterated on September 19, after a BJP organisational meeting in Agartala, that the NDA alliance had been formed and that preparations were underway for the Village Committee elections. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, ministers, MLAs, MDCs and senior organisational leaders.
Debroy has also said that alliance partners are contesting together in some areas while in certain places there is what he described as “friendly competition.”
Against this backdrop, the alleged attack in Dhanpur has raised questions about how effectively the political understanding between the two parties is being implemented at the village and candidate level.
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