Reported by Mrinal Kanti Banik
Agartala: The BJP will contest the upcoming Village Committee elections jointly with alliance partners Tipra Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Saturday.
Saha made the announcement after returning to Agartala from New Delhi, where he participated in a meeting convened at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence to discuss the forthcoming Village Committee polls and the implementation of the Tripura Accord.
The meeting lasted around 90 minutes and was attended by Shah, Saha, Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma and BJP Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra.
Speaking to reporters at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, Saha said the three parties had agreed to fight the Village Committee elections together, stressing that the alliance would continue.
The parties are yet to finalise the distribution of seats. Saha said the BJP and Tipra Motha have constituted separate teams to negotiate the seat-sharing arrangement, while discussions have also taken place with IPFT minister Shukla Charan Noatia.
A delegation from Tipra Motha is expected to visit Tripura to participate in further discussions and help finalise the seat-sharing formula, the chief minister said.
Saha further stated that the implementation of nearly all the demands associated with the Tripura Accord would be taken up after the Village Committee election process concludes. The election process is expected to commence next month.
Describing the Delhi discussions as “very cordial and positive”, Saha expressed confidence that the alliance partners would reach an agreement on seat distribution without difficulty.
The chief minister also emphasised the importance of taking decisions through an inclusive approach, saying the interests of all communities must be respected and that no section of society should feel alienated.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”, with inclusive development and governance remaining a priority.