AGARTALA, May 4 (TIWN): The Tripura hills, considered to be the safest zone of the ruling CPI(M) for the last twenty years, has witnessed a shift in its support towards the left parties on the eve of the TTAADC election this year. The reason for the shift in the support base is the resurgent IPFT with its popularity for the Twipraland stand and the much exposure of the deprivation of the tribal folks living in the hill areas.The shift in support base will only indicate an awful future of the left parties in the hills and may lead upto its loss of control of the state, thinks the political analysts here. The one sided win of the left parties in the successive elections over the years was possible owing to the dominance of the left parties in the rural and hill areas of the state which accounts for more than eighty percent of the assembly seats in the 60 member Tripura Legislative Assembly.The opposition parties, mainly the Congress was limited only within the capital seats which the left could not tilt in the last twenty years.

The hills were considered the safest zone of the left parties in the state which sent the legislators to the state assembly in successive years since the 1993 assembly election and the ADC areas were considered the secured bastion of the left parties especially for the CPI-M except in 2000 ADC election when the opposition Congress and TUJS combine took over the charge of TTAADC.

The resurgent Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) was able to win over the hearts of thousands of tribals throughout the state and a section of the tribal folks especially the young voters were seen rallying behind the new force in the tribal belt.

The IPFT’s support for the “Twipraland”( a separate state within the Indian territory for the indigenous people of Tripura) issue was welcomed by the tribals and the left Govt.’s so called step motherly attitude of the tribal areas was highlighted by the IPFT to reign in the hearts of the tribals living in the hill areas of the state.

The voting to the 28 TTAADC constituencies were over on Sunday, the 3^rd of  May and the result to be declared on May 6, 2015 will tell how much the IPFT was able to shake the strong support base of the left parties in the hill areas and what will be the future of the ruling CPI-M in the tribal areas, thinks the political analysts here.

The opposition Congress and another tribal based party, The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) who lost much of its support base in the hill areas after the gain in popularity of the IPFT may draw blank in the election, thinks the political analysts here.    

All the assumptions and aspirations of the political parties will come to light only after the sealed EVMs are opened on the next Wednesday, the 6^th of May, 2015, but till then all the fingers will have to be kept crossed.