Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha said BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT will jointly contest the upcoming Village Committee elections, while the 2024 tripartite agreement will be fully implemented from next month, with all communities’ interests protected and outstanding issues resolved amicably.
The BJP, Tipra Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) will jointly contest the forthcoming Village Committee (VC) elections in Tripura, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said on Saturday, following a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Dr Saha, who returned to Agartala on Saturday, said the meeting was aimed at resolving differences among the alliance partners and strengthening their electoral understanding ahead of the Village Committee elections. He also said that all issues connected with the implementation of the tripartite agreement signed in 2024 would be addressed after the elections.
According to the Chief Minister, the meeting at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s official residence lasted for around 90 minutes and covered both the tripartite accord and the proposed electoral arrangement among the three parties.
“The discussions during the meeting lasted for around 90 minutes. We spoke at length about the tripartite accord. Apart from that, we also spoke about electoral understanding ahead of the VC elections,” Dr Saha told reporters after returning to the state.
The meeting was attended by Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and BJP’s North East region coordinator Sambit Patra, along with Dr Saha.
Dr Saha said the BJP, IPFT and Tipra Motha had agreed to contest the upcoming elections together as a political formation, indicating that the alliance between the parties would remain intact despite recent differences.
“It has been decided that BJP, IPFT and Tipra Motha shall contest the ensuing elections jointly as a political formation. The alliance will stay intact,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the three parties would now work out the detailed roadmap for the electoral understanding, including seat-sharing arrangements. Teams have already been formed to finalise the details of the alliance and coordinate the election strategy.
“We shall definitely fight together,” Dr Saha said.
The Chief Minister also addressed questions surrounding the implementation of the tripartite agreement signed in 2024. He said the government and its partners would take up the outstanding issues following the Village Committee elections and ensure that the agreement is implemented in full.
“After the election, we shall sort out the matters related to the implementation of the accord. All the issues related to the accord shall be implemented,” he said.
Dr Saha said the implementation process would begin from next month. He described the discussions among the leaders as cordial and said the participants were satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
“We are extremely satisfied with the discussion. Not only me, the other leaders are also very satisfied. The talks occurred in a cordial atmosphere and all of us agreed to resolve issues amicably,” he said.
The Chief Minister, however, avoided making any specific announcement regarding demands for land rights for tribal populations in areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), particularly in the context of the upcoming Village Committee elections.
He also stressed that implementation of the 2024 agreement would not discriminate against any community. Dr Saha said the government would ensure that the interests of all sections of society remained protected while implementing the provisions of the accord.
“Whatever we are going to do for implementation of the tripartite accord, no single community shall face any discrimination. The interest of all the communities shall be protected,” he said.
The Chief Minister also responded to questions concerning the 72-hour strike announced by surrendered militants. Rejecting suggestions that the administration was acting weakly, he said the government could take strict action if necessary but preferred to address the situation through appropriate administrative measures.
“The administration can launch a crackdown anytime but that is not the way to handle things. There is a limit to everything. Instructions are being passed on to the officials,” Dr Saha said.
The issue of the tripartite agreement has remained a significant point of concern for Tipra Motha, particularly because the party has repeatedly raised questions over the lack of visible progress in implementing its provisions. The political disagreement had contributed to tensions between the BJP and Tipra Motha in recent months.
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Social media claims had also circulated suggesting that Tipra Motha’s demand for land rights had been accepted. However, Dr Saha did not make any formal announcement confirming such a decision.
The latest understanding comes against the backdrop of the 2026 TTAADC elections, where Tipra Motha contested independently and won 24 of the 28 seats, while the BJP secured four seats. The results significantly influenced the political equations in Tripura and appear to have contributed to renewed efforts by the alliance partners to work together.
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With the BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT now preparing to contest the Village Committee elections jointly, the alliance is expected to focus on finalising seat-sharing and campaign arrangements in the coming weeks. The proposed implementation of the 2024 tripartite agreement from next month is also likely to remain a key political issue in the state.
