Agartala, April 7 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday that the BJP wants to directly work for the betterment of the indigenous people living in tribal council areas, removing the "middleman".
Addressing a rally for the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) at Ampinagar in Gomati district, he said the BJP government has been relentlessly working for the overall development of the people living in the tribal areas.
"This is for the first time, a nationalist party is going to form the board at Khumulwng (headquarters of tribal council) because the BJP aims to end the dependency on regional party," he said.
Launching a scathing attack on its ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP), the chief minister said the party wanted to continue alliance with the regional party (TMP) as the BJP always maintains the legacy of 'jote dharma' (alliance).
"It seems they are trying to interfere in the governance. The regional party has nothing to offer to the indigenous people. If we can do everything for the tribal people, why shouldn't we directly serve the people of the tribal council by removing middlemen? he asked, referring to the TMP-led council at Khumulwng.
Claiming that TMP will vanish after the elections, Saha alleged they were getting all the benefits of being part of the BJP-led coalition government but acting as opposition in the Assembly.
Asserting that violence will not restrain the BJP from winning the tribal council elections, he said violent incidents were reported from 40 spots since the announcement of the elections.
"Our ministers, candidates and party leaders were attacked in different locations by the TMP workers during the election process. The attacks on the BJP leaders and workers and hooliganism will not stop the BJP from forming the board at Khumulwng," he said.
Referring to TMP founder, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma's recent claim that the BJP has several "good leaders" except a few indirectly targeting the chief minister, Saha said he became "bad" because he has identified the "deceptive skill" of the regional party leader.
"If the BJP could defeat the 25-year Communist rule in the 2018 Assembly elections, it is a small task to topple the TMP government at Khumulwng. It is waiting to happen," he said.
The voting for the 28 seats of tribal council will be held on April 12. Votes will be counted on April 17.
