AGARTALA: Accusing TIPRA Motha of betraying tribal voters by siding with the ruling BJP after rising to power on an opposition mandate, Tripura Pradesh Congress and ally Tripura Peoples Party (TPP) on Tuesday filed nominations across all 28 seats of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), with party president Asish Kumar Saha declaring it an unprecedented moment in the party’s four-decade history in the tribal hills.
In an exclusive conversation with Ukhrul Times, Saha confirmed the full sweep of the alliance’s nomination drive. “Our tripartite alliance has submitted nominations in all 28 constituencies today. 27 seats have Congress candidates and 1 seat has a TPP candidate,” he said.
Describing the day’s mobilisation as a watershed moment, he said, “This is unprecedented. In the last 40 years, we as a party have never seen this kind of performance in the hills. Everywhere, our candidates marched and submitted nominations. It is an extraordinary development.”
Saha outlined the belts where he believes the alliance holds the strongest prospects. “In the 6 seats of North Tripura, we have very good chances. The Raima Valley and Gandacherra belt also looks very promising for us. In the South too, we will put up a very strong fight,” he said, adding that the party is contesting with full organisational strength across every seat.
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On the party’s campaign agenda, Saha was specific and pointed. “The empowerment of the ADC through the 125th Constitutional Amendment is absolutely essential. Direct funds from the central government must reach the ADC instead of being routed through the state government at its discretion. We also demand the implementation of the Three-tier Panchayat system and village council elections,” he said.
On the Kokborok language issue, he stated firmly that the party stands for the immediate introduction of the Roman script for Kokborok and its recognition under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
Saha also levelled serious allegations regarding land rights and corporate interests. “The BJP government could have distributed over 1 lakh land pattas to forest dwellers, but it has not been done. Instead, they are engaged in a conspiracy to hand over tribal land to the likes of Adani, Ambani, Ramdev, and Godrej, just as they have done across the rest of India,” he alleged.
He further said that jum cultivation, the traditional economic backbone of hill communities, is being gradually phased out under the current dispensation.
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His sharpest words, however, were reserved for TIPRA Motha. “TIPRA Motha rose to power on tribal votes as an opposition force, but then sacrificed tribal interests by joining hands with the ruling party. Tribal youth have not got employment. Instead, they have been pushed towards drug addiction. We will work for the distribution of land pattas and the protection of tribal rights if we come to power,” he said.
Saha also stressed that the rights of non-tribal residents living within ADC areas must not be overlooked, and that maintaining harmony between tribal and non-tribal communities remains a key concern for the alliance.
Asked about the party’s principal opponent, Saha was unambiguous. “No doubt, all parties contesting against us are our opponents. But our main enemy, as Congress has always fought all-out against, is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP is our main enemy. But we are confident that Congress will reclaim its lost glory in the hills of Tripura,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the nomination drive took place with considerable energy across the state. In Gonda Twisa, Congress candidates Dinaram Reang, contesting from seat number Ganganagar-Gandacherra, and Suresh Tripura, contesting from Raima Valley, formally filed their nominations at the Gonda Twisa Sub-divisional Magistrate’s office on Tuesday, March 24, amid a large gathering of party workers and supporters.
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During the nomination filing Raima Valley Block Congress President Ranjit Tripura, party leader Gouranga Das, and other senior leaders were present.
According to party sources, hundreds of workers participated in a colourful procession to the Sub-divisional Magistrate’s (SDM) office, which the party described as a show of its organisational strength in the area.
Speaking to the local media there after filing nominations, Congress leaders in Gandacherra launched sharp attacks on both TIPRA Motha and the BJP, alleging that TIPRA Motha, which currently holds power in the ADC, had done no significant work for the people in the last five years.
They further alleged that the party had instead been mired in corruption. Leaders also claimed that the BJP and TIPRA Motha are “two sides of the same coin,” putting up separate candidates merely for appearances while sharing common interests.
The leadership expressed confidence that the people of the area are seeking change and that Congress candidates will win both seats by wide margins.
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In Kumarghat, a procession led by Unakoti District Congress Committee President Mohammad Badruzzaman and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Tarun Saha marched from the Congress office through various streets of Kumarghat town before arriving at the Sub-divisional Magistrate’s office to file nominations.
Congress fielded Arjun Roy for seat Machmara, a general seat, and Dhirendra Debbarma for Karamcherra, a Scheduled Tribe reserved seat.
However, a street corner meeting was also held on the occasion, where Badruzzaman said, “The BJP-TIPRA Motha government is staging a drama. They are deceiving the people of the state. The BJP and TIPRA Motha, despite being alliance partners in the state government, are speaking against each other at the district council level. This is nothing but BJP and Motha’s theatre.”
He further said, “Under this government, democracy in the state has been completely destroyed. People’s right to speak has been taken away. From the state level to the district council, rampant loot is going on at every level.”
While addressing the gathering Saha said, “Corruption and nepotism are rampant from the villages to the hills. The people of the state are directionless under BJP’s reign of terror. They are looking for a way out. And only the Congress party can free them. Congress works for the poor.”
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In Udaipur, Congress fielded Arat Bahadur Molsom for the Killa-Bagma seat and Bhuiya Lila Noatia for the Kathalia-Mirja-Rajapur seat, both of whom formally submitted their nominations at the Udaipur SDM’s office amid supporters.
It is learned that political activity was visibly high across Udaipur town throughout the day, with workers and supporters of various parties creating a distinct pre-election atmosphere around the SDM office premises.
After the filing, Congress leadership spoke with confidence about their prospects, noting that the absence of an alliance between the BJP and TIPRA Motha this time around would split the opposition vote, which they believe will work in Congress’s favour.