Agartala, June 25: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday indicated that discussions are underway between the BJP and its NDA ally, the TIPRA Motha Party, over the possibility of jointly contesting the upcoming Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), scheduled later this year.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP’s “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” programme at Nazrul Kalakshetra in Agartala, Dr. Saha said consultations were ongoing among alliance partners and that a final decision would be taken after leadership-level discussions.
“Our alliance partners are talking to us and we are also talking to them. Such situations have arisen earlier as well. In the past, alliance partners have contested against each other and there have also been friendly contests,” the Chief Minister said.
He, however, clarified that no final decision had been taken and the electoral strategy would be decided after consultations among the leadership of the alliance partners and guidance from the BJP’s central leadership.
“There are leadership-level discussions and certain organisational aspects that need to be considered. Once all the concerned leaders hold talks, a final decision will be taken. Only then will I be able to say what the arrangement for the Village Committee elections will be,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid growing political interest over the future of the BJP-TIPRA Motha alliance in the tribal areas. The two parties had contested separately in the recent TTAADC elections, in which the BJP suffered a setback, prompting speculation over their strategy for the upcoming Village Committee polls.
Political observers believe the Village Committee elections will serve as a crucial test of the NDA alliance’s cohesion and electoral strength in the tribal belt ahead of future elections.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Saha participated in a programme organised by the BJP to mark the anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975, which the party observes as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas.” Addressing the gathering, he criticised the Congress for imposing the Emergency and said the younger generation should be made aware of what he described as one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by state BJP president Abhishek Deb Roy, Minister Tinku Roy and other party leaders, also visited a photo exhibition showcasing events and documents from the Emergency period.
