Agartala, January 25:
With the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections due in the next two months, political activity in the state has intensified, as around 500 voters from the opposition CPI(M) and ruling ally TIPRA Motha joined the Bharatiya Janata Party during a massive public rally held at South Taibandal in Sepahijala district on Sunday.
The joining programme took place in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha along with several senior BJP leaders and MLAs, marking a significant political development in the tribal-dominated region ahead of the crucial elections.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Saha launched a sharp attack on the CPI(M) and indirectly target TIPRA Motha leadership.
Recalling the long Left rule in the state, the Chief Minister accused the Communists of running a regime marked by violence, murder and terror, asserting that the people of Tripura had decisively rejected such politics.
Speaking to reporters after the programme, Dr Saha said that the “lotus is now visible everywhere across the country,” adding that the BJP’s influence in Tripura continues to expand further.
He claimed that the growing participation of indigenous people in the party is strengthening the BJP’s organisational base and clearly indicating positive results in the upcoming TTAADC elections.
Without naming TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, and who is the royal family head, the Chief Minister also took a swipe at what he described as family-centric and individual-oriented politics.
Referring to the spirit of democracy on the eve of Republic Day, Dr Saha said India is no longer a monarchy but a republic where power lies with the people.
“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not come from a royal family; he was a tea seller. In democracy, the people have the final word. Those who fail to perform will be thrown out in a moment,” he said, in an apparent dig at royal lineage-based politics.
Marking National Voters’ Day, Dr Saha urged first-time voters to understand the importance of choosing the right leadership for the future of the state and the country.
He criticised local parties formed under emotional slogans, alleging that such platforms ultimately served personal interests rather than public welfare.
Highlighting the BJP government’s tribal-focused development agenda, Dr Saha said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritised the Northeast under the “diamond model,” contrasting it with the past era of extremism and instability.
The Chief Minister added that after the BJP came to power, former extremists were brought back into the mainstream through rehabilitation and financial assistance.
“If tribals have to be developed and peace maintained in Tripura and the Northeast, only the BJP under Prime Minister Modi can ensure it,” the Chief Minister asserted.
Saha also distributed blankets, winter clothes, water tanks etc on the day.
The meeting was attended by BJP Pradesh General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, MLAs Jitendra Majumdar and Bindu Debnath, former MP Rebati Tripura, Pradesh BJP Secretary David Debbarma and other party leaders.
