North East Elections 2018: Here are 5 reasons why the BJP's performance in Tripura is historic and extraordinary

At the time of writing, the BJP has amassed a massive 41-18 seat lead in the Tripura Assembly elections trends. The battle with the long-time incumbent CPI(M) swung to and fro multiple times, but it now looks like the BJP will seal what is, by all measures, a historic and extraordinary win.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. The BJP which didn’t win a single seat in the 2013 elections in Tripura is poised to form government with a clear majority. 

2. The BJP has uprooted the Left on the latter’s home turf and done so with a clear majority, if the trends are on-point. The Left has been in power for a quarter century and should the BJP form government, it will be the biggest loss of face for the Left nationally. 
The Manik Sarkar-led Left had bagged a massive 49 seats in 2013. Sarkar has been chief minister of Tripura since 1998. That's a run of almost 2 decades which will come to a halt if the BJP pulls through as the trends indicate. 

3. The BJP has secured a massive win in a Bengali-dominated state. This may have huge ramifications for 2019 and the next West Bengal elections

4. At the time of writing, the Congress is ahead in 0 seats in Tripura. The party had secured 10 seats in 2013 which reiterates the massive rejection of the Congress party across the country under Rahul Gandhi. 

5. Winning Tripura on its own will ensure that the BJP sheds its image as “North Indian” party with a tradition “Hindu only” votebank. A win would also mean that there is a direct shift from Left to Right in a state which holds immense significance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

"Now Left is left only in Kerala. It is trying with the Congress in West Bengal. It has been wiped out in Tripura. It's a tectonic shift": Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad