Agartala, April 7: In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric ahead of the April 12 elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Pradyot Kishore Debbarma launched a direct attack on Chief Minister Manik Saha, accusing him of being “misguided” and focusing criticism on alliance partner TIPRA Motha instead of targeting the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Addressing a public gathering, Pradyot questioned the Chief Minister’s political priorities, alleging that Saha had “not attacked the Communist Party even once” while repeatedly confronting TIPRA Motha. He suggested that the Chief Minister may have been influenced by certain individuals, leading to what he described as a misplaced political approach. “His focus should have been on CPI(M), which is regaining strength. If that continues, Motha alone cannot safeguard BJP,” he stated.
Framing the electoral contest in stark socio-economic terms, the TIPRA Motha leader described the upcoming polls as a battle between extremes. “This time, the fight is between India’s richest party, the BJP, and the poorest party, TIPRA Motha,” he said, alleging that financial resources were being used to influence the ADC elections. Despite this, he expressed confidence that the “poor Tiprasa people” would respond decisively on April 12.
A key aspect of his criticism centered on the alleged dilution of tribal identity within the ADC framework. Referring to the TTAADC, which governs nearly 70 percent of Tripura’s geographical area, Pradyot claimed that efforts were being made to weaken its foundational principles. “Even the word ‘tribal’ is being removed, and ‘autonomous’ is being diluted. What message is the government trying to send?” he asked.
Despite the sharp remarks, Pradyot called for communal harmony, urging people across communities—Tiprasa, Bengali, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian—to remain united. “Loving your own people does not require hatred toward others. Violence will not take us anywhere,” he emphasized.
He also highlighted governance issues such as lack of drinking water, poor rural roads, and incomplete infrastructure projects, alleging a gap between official claims and ground realities. As campaigning intensifies, the exchange of sharp remarks between BJP and TIPRA Motha has added uncertainty to the high-stakes ADC polls.
