TMP may reconsider alliance with BJP for village polls if tripartite pact not implemented: Pradyot Debbarma

Agartala, Aug 17 (IANS) Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma on Monday signalled that his party could reconsider its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Village Committee elections in Tripura’s tribal areas if the Centre and the state government fail to implement the provisions of the tripartite accord signed on March 2, 2024.

Debbarma said he would be forced to “go his separate way” if the accord is not implemented and the constitutional rights promised to the indigenous people of Tripura are not delivered. He made the remarks while speaking to the media on the sidelines of an extended meeting of TMP leaders, MLAs, TTAADC members and senior functionaries in Agartala.

The meeting comes after inconclusive talks between BJP and TMP leaders in New Delhi over a joint strategy for the forthcoming Village Committee elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Debbarma stressed that the primary issue for his party was not positions or financial benefits but implementation of the accord, which he said had remained unfulfilled despite more than two‑and‑a‑half years since its signing.

“I am very clear. If these (BJP) people are serious, they should implement the accord,” he said, adding that he had “a lot of respect” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He warned that failure to implement the agreement would force his party to decide its “next course of action.” He also alleged that attempts were made to weaken the TMP during recent elections, with some MLAs and MDCs approached and a few leaving the party.

Debbarma rejected the idea of a limited political settlement, arguing that appointing a few leaders to positions or offering ministerial posts would not address the concerns of the wider indigenous population. “You can make 10‑15 people happy, but 14 lakh tribal people will remain where they were,” he said.

TMP leaders recently held meetings with BJP National President Nitin Nabin and Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra. The TMP, led by Debbarma, has been a junior partner in the BJP‑led government since March 2024 after signing the accord in the presence of Union Home Minister Shah. Two TMP MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, were inducted into the ministry led by Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Elections to 587 Village Committees under the TTAADC are scheduled later this year. In the April 12 TTAADC elections, TMP won 24 of the 28 elected seats, while the BJP secured only four. Since 2021, TMP has governed the council, regarded as the second most important constitutional institution in Tripura after the Assembly.

–IANS

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