Agartala, September 6 (Daily Kiran) : Ahead of the village committee elections scheduled for September 28, Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), of misleading tribal voters in Tripura.
Former minister and Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman targeted BJP and TMP leader Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, stating that the long-pending tripartite agreement is being used as an electoral issue to sway voters in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) region.
Reacting to the announcement of an electoral alliance between BJP and TMP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Barman expressed skepticism. He questioned why the tripartite agreement is being linked to the electoral coalition, stating, “I have nothing to say about the electoral alliance, but the question remains.”
Barman accused the BJP and TMP of a recurring pattern, saying, “It has become their habit to ally every other election, misleading the people of the TTAADC area.”
As a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), he raised concerns about the implementation status of the agreement. He asked, “Where is A.K. Mishra?” referring to the central government-appointed former negotiator. He noted that in March 2024, a promise was made that the agreement would be implemented within six months, yet two and a half years later, no significant progress has been made.
He charged that reviving the agreement just before elections is merely an attempt to gain political advantage. Barman challenged Pradyot Debbarma, the central government, and the state government to publicly disclose the demands that have been agreed upon.
He highlighted that Congress has raised specific demands, including security provisions under Articles 275 and 280, the passage of the proposed 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, and the recognition of the Kokborok language in Roman script.
Barman urged voters in the TTAADC area to think critically rather than vote based on emotions, claiming that the BJP-TMP alliance is exploiting tribal aspirations for political gain.
It is noteworthy that on March 2, 2024, after extensive negotiations, Tipra Motha signed a tripartite agreement with the central and Tripura governments. Following this, on March 7, 2024, the TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government with 13 legislators.
In preparation for the upcoming village committee elections, a significant meeting took place on September 4 in New Delhi, attended by Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP’s Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra, and TMP leader Pradyot Debbarma.
Upon returning from Delhi, Chief Minister Saha confirmed that the BJP would contest the upcoming village committee elections alongside both its allies, TMP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
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