Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday accused coalition partner Tipra Motha Party of deliberately stoking violence and unrest, saying the party has turned to disruption after losing public support ahead of the upcoming Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections.
Saha made the remarks at an election rally in the Birchandranagar-Kalsi constituency, held in support of BJP candidate Sanjib Reang.
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Taking direct aim at Tipra Motha — which holds cabinet positions in the BJP-led Tripura government — Saha said the party was behaving like an opposition force despite being part of the ruling alliance.
"They are creating an atmosphere of violence and unrest out of frustration. On one hand, they say they want peace, but on the other hand, they are creating unrest," Saha said. "There is no match between their words and actions. People have now understood their lies."
The Chief Minister said BJP workers have repeatedly been targeted. "They are attacking BJP workers, beating them, attacking their houses, and setting them on fire. We have decided that we will not accept their blackmail anymore," he said.
Despite the tensions within the alliance, Saha struck a confident note about the BJP's prospects in the ADC polls.
"People have understood everything now. The BJP believes in the real development of the tribals. The victory of the BJP in the upcoming ADC elections will be assured," he said.
He also reiterated the BJP's long-standing position on tribal development, linking it directly to Tripura's overall progress. "If the tribals do not develop, Tripura will not develop either," he said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's broader vision for the Northeast — referring to the region as Ashtalakshmi — that national development cannot be complete without the Northeast's growth.
Saha drew a contrast between what he described as the peace and stability that followed the BJP's rise to power in 2018 and the earlier years of conflict in the state.
"Earlier, we witnessed incidents like murder, terrorism, arson, and rape. After our government was formed in 2018, peace returned to Tripura. Now the wave of development is flowing here," he said.
The BJP currently governs Tripura in alliance with Tipra Motha and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT). The ADC elections, which cover tribal areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, are being closely watched as a key test of political influence among the state's tribal communities.