Tripura Congress to contest Village Council polls, targets BJP-Tipra Motha

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Asish Kumar Saha on August 20 announced that the Congress will contest the upcoming Village Council elections, while accusing the BJP and its alliance partner, Tipra Motha Party, of failing to protect the interests of the state's indigenous and tribal communities.

Saha said the Congress has stepped up organisational preparations in the tribal areas ahead of the polls. He said the Adivasi Congress and the Pradesh Congress have been working together to strengthen the party's presence and rebuild trust among voters in the hilly areas.

The Congress leader said his party had taken several measures for tribal empowerment when it was in power at the Centre and in Tripura, including the creation of the district council, implementation of forest rights, extension of reservation and development schemes for tribal communities.

Saha alleged that the BJP governments at the Centre and in Tripura, along with Tipra Motha, had failed to deliver on their promises to the tribal population.

He also questioned the proposed electoral understanding between the BJP and Tipra Motha, noting that the two parties had previously been political rivals in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.

"Those who promised to fight for the rights of the tribal people have failed to fulfil their commitments and have disappointed them," Saha said.

He claimed that the proposed alliance between the BJP and Tipra Motha was driven by electoral interests rather than a commitment to tribal welfare.

Saha said the Congress would continue to raise issues concerning indigenous communities and urged tribal voters to support the party in the Village Council elections. He reiterated that the Congress would field candidates and seek a mandate to represent their interests.