BJP, Tipra Motha, IPFT to jointly contest Tripura Village Committee polls: CM Saha

The ruling BJP, along with its alliance partners Tipra Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), will jointly contest the upcoming Village Committee elections in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on September 5.

Saha made the announcement after returning from New Delhi, where he attended a meeting at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the Village Committee polls and implementation of the Tripura Accord.

The meeting, which lasted around 90 minutes, was attended by Shah, Saha, Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma and BJP Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra.

“An important decision has been taken that BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT will contest the upcoming Village Committee elections together. The alliance will remain intact,” Saha told reporters at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala.

He said a final seat-sharing roadmap would be prepared shortly. The BJP and Tipra Motha have formed separate teams to work out the seat-sharing arrangement, while discussions have also been held with IPFT minister Shukla Charan Noatia.

Representatives of Tipra Motha are expected to arrive in Tripura to finalise the seat-sharing formula, the chief minister said.

Saha also said the implementation of almost all demands under the Tripura Accord would be taken up after the Village Committee election process is completed, with the process expected to begin next month.

Describing the Delhi meeting as “very cordial and positive”, Saha expressed confidence that the seat-sharing arrangement would be finalised smoothly.

The chief minister stressed the need for an inclusive approach while taking decisions, saying all communities would be respected and no section of society should feel hurt.

He said the government would continue to follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”, with an emphasis on inclusive development and governance.