Written by: Mrinal Kanti Banik
Agartala: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the upcoming Village Council (VC) elections in areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) without any alliance, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters after chairing an organisational meeting at the party’s state headquarters, Saha said the decision to go solo in the TTAADC polls had been reviewed and reaffirmed by the party leadership.
“Our decision to contest the elections alone was right, and we still stand by it. We are of the opinion that in the Village Council elections as well, we shall go for a solo fight,” he said.
Village Councils function as rural local bodies in TTAADC areas, unlike the three-tier panchayat system followed in non-tribal regions. In tribal areas, the VC system operates under a single-tier structure.
Saha said the BJP would intensify efforts to strengthen its organisational base in tribal areas. “In our post-poll evaluation, we have observed that it is high time to strengthen our organisational presence in the TTAADC areas. In places where we are weak, we shall work rigorously to regain strength,” he said.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern over reports of alleged forcible occupation of VC offices following recent poll results. Referring to incidents involving supporters of Tipra Motha Party, he said, “No elected body can be occupied forcefully. The law exists, and under no circumstances can we allow anyone to violate it.”
He added that repeated such actions could affect public support. “If their party keeps resorting to such activities again and again, their acceptance among the public shall diminish,” he said.
Earlier, Saha held a meeting with party candidates and cluster leaders to review electoral performance and gather feedback. “This meeting has been convened to get feedback from party leaders who contested the elections. Apart from the candidates, we have invited leaders associated with the clusters activated for election purposes,” he said.
The VC elections had remained pending for the last ten years due to various reasons. The Supreme Court of India later directed the state government to conduct the polls in 2026.
