AGARTALA: The Tipra Motha Party (TMP) is likely to hold talks with the BJP’s central leadership in Delhi next week over a possible electoral understanding for the upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) village committee elections, TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma said on Wednesday, September 2.
Elections to 587 village committees, comprising 4,599 seats, are scheduled for September 28, with counting of votes set for October 5. The last date for filing nominations is September 8.
Debbarma said there was no meeting between the TMP and visiting BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh or Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra during their visit to Tripura. However, he said a meeting between the two parties was likely in Delhi before September 8.
Santosh, who arrived in Tripura to review the BJP’s preparations for the elections, met Chief Minister Manik Saha, state BJP president Abhishek Debbarma and former state party president Rajib Bhattacharjee on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he held another meeting with Saha, ministers, MLAs and senior BJP leaders at the party headquarters to finalise the electoral strategy.
Meanwhile, Debbarma said TMP MLAs and district council members had been asked to begin selecting candidates for all 4,599 seats.
The TMP election committee, headed by general secretary Brishaketu Debbarma, decided that the party would contest independently if an alliance with the BJP did not materialise.
“We have asked our MLAs and MDCs to start the process of selecting candidates for all 4,599 seats. The party is also prepared to contest the elections alone if an alliance does not materialise,” Debbarma said.
