Agartala, March 29 Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma claimed on Sunday that he was under "tremendous pressure" to ally with the BJP ahead of the Tripura tribal council elections.
Polling for the 28 seats of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) will be held on April 12, while counting will take place on April 17.
"I faced immense pressure to form an alliance with the BJP in the tribal council elections, but I did not compromise on the rights of the Tiprasa people," Debbarma said in a Facebook post.
The TMP is part of the ruling alliance with the BJP in the state, although the saffron party has chosen to contest the tribal council polls independently.
Debbarma alleged that he was warned of a split in his party if an alliance with the BJP was not finalized, adding that five senior leaders, including an executive member of the tribal council, have since joined the BJP.
"Why should I ally with the BJP? More than two years have passed since the Tiprasa accord was signed with the Centre and the state government, but it has not been implemented. This election is not merely an electoral battle; it is a fight for the survival and existence of the Tiprasa people," he said.
Debbarma also criticised Chief Minister Manik Saha for "ordering" the Tiprasa people to vote for the BJP in order to implement the Tiprasa accord.
"I respect Saha because he is our CM. But he can't order the people to vote for the BJP to get the accord implemented. In a democracy, one cannot order electors to vote in favor of any particular party," he said.
Recently, Saha had said that issues related to the Tiprasa accord would be addressed if the BJP formed the council at Khumulwng, the TTAADC headquarters in West Tripura district.
Urging unity among indigenous people, Debbarma said the community would suffer if his party failed to win the council polls.
"If we fail, the Tiprasa people will be the ultimate losers, as no one else will raise issues like land rights, direct funding to the council, and recognition of the Kokborok script," he said.
"Victory will be ours because we are fighting on the right path for the interests of the Tiprasa people," he added.
