Veteran Congress MLA and CLP leader Birajit Sinha on Tuesday publicly supported Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s demand for a “Greater Tipraland” and urged Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to accept the demand. He was addressing an election rally at Chinibagan Bazar in Kailashahar.

The rally was organised by the Kailashahar district Congress ahead of the Village Committee elections scheduled for September 28. The elections will cover 587 Village Committees and 4,597 seats across the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas. 

Sinha criticised the BJP and CPI(M), alleging that neither party had been sincere about holding Village Committee elections. “The Left government had not conducted the elections when they were due in 2016 and the BJP government also failed to initiate the process after coming to power in 2018.”

Sinha said the elections were eventually being held after the intervention by Debbarma and subsequent directions from the Supreme Court.

He also criticised the CPI(M) over its position on tribal issues and referred to the passage of legislation establishing the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.

“Congress had to be there for the development of the ADC,” Sinha said.

Sinha then backed Debbarma’s Greater Tipraland demand and called on the chief minister to accept it immediately. He linked his argument to statements allegedly made by some political leaders in Bangladesh regarding the North-East.

Referring to areas that were under the Tripura royal administration before Partition, Sinha said accepting Debbarma’s demand would settle the issue.

The comments come ahead of the Village Committee elections, in which the three villages of Hirachhara, Deorachhara and Unakoti under Gournagar block in Unakoti district are witnessing a four-cornered contest with the BJP, Congress, Tipra Motha and CPI(M) in fray.

Sinha also alleged that Congress booth offices and campaign materials were being vandalised at night in different ADC Village areas and that party workers and supporters were being threatened. He further alleged that voters were being warned of being driven out of their areas if they did not vote for BJP candidates.

Unakoti district Congress president Mohammad Badruzzaman made similar allegations at the rally.

Sinha and Badruzzaman said Congress workers would respond if any untoward incident occurred during the elections.

The rally was attended by Congress leaders and candidates, including Sinha, Badruzzaman, AICC member Sushanta Chakraborty, Rudrendu Bhattacharjee, Tin Kumar Darlong, Suraiya Darlong, Loisima Darlong, Runu Mia, Zuber Ahmed Khan, Abhijit Debnath and Dweep Sinha. Congress said all 25 of its candidates from the three Village Committees were present along with party workers and supporters.