There should be no shame in losing power after 25 years in government but CPM’s defeat in Tripura is being treated as death blow to Left parties in India. More than the CPM’s defeat, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Tripura that is surprising and historic.

In the previous elections, the BJP had gotten merely 1.5 percent of the votes, and this time it is going to form the government with two-thirds majority. This marvel should be commended. While this is proof of the BJP’s organisational strength, it is also testament to the fact that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s hunger for victory is unmatched in Indian politics today.