Agartala, March 4 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday asserted that the overall development of the Janajati (tribal) community remains one of the primary goals of the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing an organisational programme at the headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in Khumulwng, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the BJP would register a huge victory in the upcoming elections to the tribal autonomous body and Village Committees.
Saha said the BJP would form the government in the 30-member TTAADC, claiming that people’s trust and confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party have steadily increased.
Earlier in the day, a large procession led by the Chief Minister passed through various roads of Khumulwng, with a large number of party workers and supporters taking part.
Referring to the forthcoming TTAADC elections, Saha said a massive rally titled ‘Janajati Empowerment and Tripura Empowerment’ was organised in Khumulwng to galvanise support.
He maintained that since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Modi has prioritised the development of Janajati communities across the country.
“In the coming days as well, only the Bharatiya Janata Party can ensure real development of the tribal people. We are committed to working wholeheartedly for their welfare,” he said.
The Chief Minister further stated that if the present situation in the TTAADC is to change, the BJP must receive the people’s full support.
Alleging that the Janajati community had long witnessed “empty promises”, he claimed that the BJP is now delivering tangible development on the ground.
Expressing optimism, Saha said the party would secure a decisive mandate in the upcoming TTAADC and Village Committee elections and form the government in the tribal autonomous body, which he described as a vital constitutional institution.
The organisational programme was also attended by Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, BJP Pradesh General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, mandal leaders and other party functionaries.
In the run-up to the TTAADC polls, all major political parties — including the ruling BJP, its allies — the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) — and opposition parties such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress — have intensified efforts to consolidate support among tribal voters.
The crucial elections to the TTAADC are likely to be held in March or April.
Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has been governing the politically significant 30-member TTAADC, which covers nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area and is home to over 12.16 lakh people, around 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous communities.
Tribals constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s total population of about 4.2 million, making the upcoming elections a key political contest in the state.
–IANS
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