Agartala, February 16:
A sharp political confrontation has erupted between Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, intensifying speculation over the future of political equations in the state ahead of the crucial TTAADC elections scheduled in the next two months.
The exchange follows Chief Minister Dr. Saha’s recent declaration that the BJP would win all 28 seats in the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), currently under the control of TIPRA Motha.
Saha had made it clear that the alliance between the BJP and TIPRA Motha party is in the Assembly and there is no alliance in the district council polls and alleged that the present ADC administration had failed to deliver and had misused funds provided by the state government.
Responding strongly to the Chief Minister’s allegations, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, not only refuted Dr Saha’s remarks but also threw an open political challenge in response.
“They are talking about capturing the ADC. Let them try. Bubagra is challenging them—forget capturing TTAADC. In 2028, Bubagra will capture Agartala, and a Tiprasa will become the next Chief Minister,” he declared, referring to the next Assembly elections.
Pradyot, who is popularly known as Bubagra among the indigenous Tiprasa population, was addressing a public gathering at Twidu in Amarpur under Gomati district, where he laid the foundation stone of a community hall for the Koloi community.
In a pointed remark widely seen as directed at Dr. Saha, Pradyot said, “Everyone knows that on one side there is Bubagra and on the other side there is the Chief Minister. Whom will you choose?”
He further asserted that while some leaders appear only before elections, he has visited the region 15–20 times over the last five years, even when there were no polls.
Significantly, Pradyot has been repeatedly clarifying earlier his political positioning, stating that he maintains a good relationship with the BJP’s central leadership and with the majority of the party’s state leadership—“except two or three individuals here.”
The remark is being interpreted as an attempt to isolate his criticism to specific state-level figures rather than the party at large.
At the event, Pradyot announced that the proposed community hall for the Koloi community would accommodate around 500 people and include essential facilities such as an office, stage, and sanitation infrastructure.
The project, estimated at around ₹4 crore, was described as fulfillment of a long-standing promise to be funded by the TTAADC.
Beyond development issues, Pradyot emphasized unity among Tiprasa communities—Kaloyit, Jamatia, Debbarma, and Reang—urging them not to be divided along sub-tribal or religious lines.
“Whether Koloi wins, Jamatia wins, Debbarma wins or Reang wins—it is the victory of the Tiprasa,” he said.
The intensifying verbal duel between the Chief Minister and Pradyot has added a new dimension to Tripura’s political landscape.
With direct challenges now extending beyond the TTAADC elections to the 2028 Assembly polls, the evolving confrontation could significantly shape the state’s future political dynamics.
