AGARTALA, June 27: Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarama on Thursday said the party should prepare independently for the upcoming panchayat elections in Tripura, expected to take place in August.
In a Facebook post, he stated, “Tipra Motha should ready itself for the panchayat polls based on our own strength and merit. We cannot confine ourselves to limited areas. Let’s prepare for the elections independently. If we are strong, people will support us.”
Speaking to reporters, Tipra Motha president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl expressed dissatisfaction with the BJP-led government, criticising its occasional negative approach.
“While we are aligned with the government, we have responsibilities to fulfill. If we cannot meet our responsibilities to our people, there is no point in remaining in the government,” he asserted.
Hrangkhawl also voiced frustration over the lack of implementation of the tripartite agreement between the Centre, state government, and Tipra Motha aimed at resolving issues of indigenous communities.
“We are dissatisfied with the current progress on this agreement. Why hasn’t the Ministry of Home Affairs convened the first meeting to implement it? Why is there a lack of respect for the agreement?” he questioned.
In response to queries, the former rebel leader noted that Tipra Motha was not consulted regarding the upcoming panchayat elections. “We would prefer if Tipra Motha contests the elections independently,” he added.
Tipra Motha emerged as the primary opposition in Tripura by securing 13 out of 60 Assembly seats in the 2023 elections. Subsequently, it joined the BJP-led coalition government after signing an agreement with the Centre and state government prior to the Lok Sabha elections, aiming to address indigenous issues.
Reacting to the statements by Tipra Motha’s supremo, BJP state general secretary Amit Rakshit affirmed the party’s right to express its political aspirations.
“In politics, anything is possible. There is still time before the panchayat elections. Tipra Motha previously contested alongside BJP in Lok Sabha elections. They may discuss the matter with our central leadership,” he remarked. (PTI)
