Tripura Polls: Manik Saha, Pradyot Debbarma Meet Amit Shah Over Alliance

A key meeting on the proposed alliance for the upcoming Village Committee elections in Tripura’s tribal areas took place in New Delhi on Friday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Manik Saha and senior leaders of the BJP and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) attending the discussions.

BJP Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra and TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma also joined the meeting.

Saha later described the talks as ‘fruitful and constructive’, saying the leaders discussed issues of mutual importance as well as the development and welfare of Tripura’s people. He did not disclose any specific decision.

The meeting came after several rounds of talks between the BJP and its ally TMP failed to produce an agreement on seat-sharing or an electoral arrangement for the Village Committee polls.

Debbarma had said on September 2 that TMP would not join an electoral alliance unless key provisions of the March 2, 2024 tripartite agreement with the Centre and Tripura government were implemented. He particularly stressed measures concerning land rights for indigenous tribal communities.

The agreement led to a major political shift in Tripura. TMP, which had been in opposition, joined the BJP-led government on March 7, 2024. The party currently has 13 MLAs.

The BJP has intensified preparations for the elections. Five central leaders, including BL Santhosh, Sambit Patra, Rajiv Babbar, Rajdeep Roy and GR Rabindra Raju, held meetings with state leaders in Agartala on September 1 and 2.

Village Committee Polls

The September 28 elections will cover 4,597 seats across 2,634 constituencies in 587 Village Committees. The polls are taking place after a 10-year gap.

TMP has controlled the TTAADC since 2021 and won 24 of its 28 elected seats in the April 12 elections, while the BJP won four.

The council covers nearly two-thirds of Tripura and has more than 12.16 lakh residents, around 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous tribal communities.

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