Congress accuses BJP, its ally of ‘fooling’ tribal voters ahead of Tripura Village Committee polls

Agartala, Sep 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The opposition Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP), accusing the two parties of once again "fooling" people in Tripura's tribal areas ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections.

Former Minister and sitting Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman targeted the BJP and TMP supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, alleging that the two parties were using the long-pending tripartite agreement as an election-time tactic to influence voters in the areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Reacting to the BJP-TMP decision to jointly contest the forthcoming Village Committee elections, reached after talks in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Roy Barman said he had "nothing to say" about the electoral alliance but questioned why the Tripartite Agreement was being linked to the poll arrangement.

"It has become a trend of the BJP and TMP that in every alternative election they fight together and fool the people living in the TTAADC area," he alleged.

Roy Barman, a Congress Working Committee member, questioned the status of the implementation process of the agreement and asked, "Where is A.K. Mishra ?", referring to the former interlocutor appointed by the Centre to facilitate the dialogue.

He recalled that in March 2024, people were assured that the agreement would be implemented within six months, but "after two-and-a-half years, nothing yet has happened".

The Congress leader alleged that renewed movement on the agreement just ahead of elections was aimed at gaining political mileage.

He also challenged Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the Centre and the state government to publicly disclose the specific demands on which any understanding had been reached.

Contrasting the Congress' position, the Congress leader said his party had raised specific demands, including safeguards under Articles 275 and 280, Article 371K, passage of the proposed 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill and recognition of the Roman script for tribal Kokborok language.

Roy Barman urged voters in the TTAADC areas to "use their mind, not emotion and sentiment" while taking an informed decision in the elections.

He alleged that the BJP-TMP combine was seeking to exploit the aspirations of indigenous people for "petty gains".

After prolonged negotiations, the TMP, then in the Opposition, signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, 2024, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Subsequently, the TMP, which has 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7, 2024, adding a new dimension to the state's political dynamics.

Meanwhile, ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections in Tripura's tribal areas, a crucial meeting was held in New Delhi on September 4 in the presence of Union Home Minister.

Besides Home Minister Shah and Chief Minister Saha, BJP's Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra, and TMP supremo Debbarma were also present at the meeting.

After the meeting, the Tripura Chief Minister in a social media post on X said: "We had a fruitful and constructive discussion on matters of mutual importance and the development and welfare of the people of Tripura."

Returning from Delhi, CM Saha said on Saturday that the BJP would fight for the upcoming Village Committee polls in alliance with its two partners -- the TMP and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

Source: IANS