Agartala, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Congress on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP) of misleading voters in Tripura’s tribal areas ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections.
Former minister and sitting Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman targeted both the BJP and TMP supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, alleging that the long-pending tripartite agreement involving the Centre, the Tripura government and the TMP was being revived as an election-time tactic to influence voters in areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Reacting to the BJP-TMP decision to jointly contest the Village Committee elections, 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.
The Congress Working Committee member also questioned the progress in implementing the agreement and asked, “Where is A.K. Mishra?”, referring to the former interlocutor appointed by the Centre to facilitate the negotiations.
Roy Barman recalled that tribal people had been assured in March 2024 that the agreement would be implemented within six months. He alleged that despite two-and-a-half years having passed, there had been no substantial progress.
He challenged Debbarma, the Centre and the state government to publicly disclose the specific demands on which an understanding had been reached, alleging that renewed activity around the agreement ahead of elections was intended to secure political mileage.
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 the tribal Kokborok language.
Urging voters to make an informed choice, Roy Barman said they should “use their mind, not emotion and sentiment” and alleged that the BJP-TMP combine was exploiting the aspirations of indigenous people for “petty gains”.
The TMP had signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre and Tripura government on March 2, 2024, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Manik Saha. Five days later, on March 7, the party, which has 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led coalition government.
Ahead of the Village Committee polls, Shah, Saha, BJP Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra and Debbarma held a meeting in New Delhi on September 4. After the meeting, Saha described the discussions as “fruitful and constructive” and said they focused on matters of mutual importance and the development and welfare of Tripura.
On Saturday, Saha said the BJP would contest the Village Committee elections in alliance with the TMP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
FOLLOW NOW
