Agartala, Aug 25 (PTI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday hinted at stitching an electoral understanding between the BJP and its ally – Tipra Motha Party (TMP) – for the elections to Village Committees.
The TMP is an alliance partner of the Manik Saha government, but the regional party contested the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections solo and registered a landslide victory. “Since not many days are left for the VC elections, you will soon know the electoral understanding (with the TMP). Problems are always there even at home. They are our partner. They seek something which we don’t want in their way,” the chief minister told reporters. The elections to 587 Village Committees are scheduled to take place in the first half of September.
On the implementation of the tripartite agreement for overall development of indigenous people, Saha said, “It will be done… Sometimes they want something, but it may not be sorted out the way they demand. Ultimately, the time will come when a unanimous decision is reached.” Softening his stand on the alliance, TMP founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Tuesday said he has a lot of respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and they will do everything to protect the rights of indigenous people.
“Today, they (Modi, Shah) are in power, and tomorrow they may not be. What will happen when they are not in power? That’s why we are pressing for a constitutional guarantee to protect the land rights for indigenous people,” he said.
Debbarma added, “If people of Bodoland, Karbi Anglong and Mizoram could get a guarantee over land rights, why Tiprasa people will be denied the same provision?”
