Agartala, March 22 Tripura Congress president Asish Kumar Saha said on Sunday that the party will contest the upcoming tribal council elections independently.
Polling for the 28-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is scheduled for April 12, while counting of votes will take place on April 17.
"The Congress will contest the TTAADC elections with full strength. However, if any like-minded party is interested in an understanding, they are welcome," Saha said at a press conference.
He said the party's campaign will focus on the socio-economic development of tribal communities, alleging that the Sixth Schedule areas have remained neglected for years.
Saha said the Adivasi Congress has been working on the party's election strategy for the past two months, and the list of candidates will be announced soon.
"We will not make unrealistic promises to indigenous people. However, issues such as direct funding to the tribal council, introduction of the Roman script for the Kokborok language, and the passage of the TTAADC Empowerment Bill (125th Constitutional Amendment) will be in our manifesto," he said.
Senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman said the people of the tribal areas have already experienced the governance of the CPI(M) and the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), but have not yet given Congress an opportunity.
He claimed that the Congress had earlier played a key role in the formation of the autonomous district council and in increasing the number of ST-reserved seats in the assembly from 17 to 20.
Roy Barman appealed to voters to support the Congress, promising a new style of governance aimed at improving the lives of indigenous communities.
While the Left Front has already announced its candidates for the elections, the BJP and its allies, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), are yet to declare their nominees. The last date for filing nominations is March 25.