Agartala, March 11 Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said on Wednesday that the outcome of the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) will determine whether the state will have a Tiprasa (tribal) chief minister after the 2028 Assembly elections.
The schedule for the TTAADC elections has not yet been announced, but the current term of the tribal council is set to end on April 20.
Addressing a party rally in Killa, in the Gomati district, Debbarma said that the upcoming election for the tribal council is important for the survival of the indigenous people.
"The outcome of the tribal council election will determine whether Tripura will have a Tiprasa (tribal) chief minister after the 2028 Assembly elections. The election (for the tribal council) will be a contest between Bubagra (King), who has been tirelessly trying to protect the rights of indigenous people, and Chief Minister Manik Saha. It is up to you to decide who you want to see as the winner in the tribal council elections," he said.
Debbarma said, "Today, I am fighting for your rights, for your children's future. If we concede defeat in the tribal council elections, your children's future will be ruined. This is not just a political battle; it is an attempt by nagar panchayats to encroach on the area of the tribal council."
Taking a dig at the BJP's slogan 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' (Together, Together Development), the TMP chief alleged that money has not reached the grassroots level for development because the election of village committees has not been held for several years.
"Depriving the village committees of funds is the opposite of the BJP's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' slogan. People do not believe in the chief minister's development-centric speeches," he said.
Debbarma alleged that the BJP will spend money to woo poor tribal people in order to win the tribal council elections.
"The BJP, which has already declared its intention to conquer the tribal council, will spend a lot of money to win the elections. But I urge all of you to take money from the BJP and, on the day of the election, vote for the party that is advocating for the Tiprasa people," he said.