With the Village Council elections approaching, the Tripura Pradesh Congress has stepped up its political campaign, positioning itself as an alternative to the BJP-Tipra Motha alliance in the tribal areas of the state.

TPCC president Asish Kumar Saha on Thursday announced that the Congress would contest the Village Council elections and launched a strong attack on the BJP and its alliance partner, Tipra Motha Party, accusing them of compromising the interests of the indigenous people for political gains.

Saha said the Congress has begun strengthening its organisational network across tribal areas and is working to reconnect with voters ahead of the polls.

“Over the past few days, we have been preparing our organisation for the Village Council elections. Despite organisational challenges in the hilly areas, the Adivasi Congress and Pradesh Congress are working together to rebuild the party’s base and regain the confidence of the people,” he said.

Taking a political swipe at the ruling alliance, Saha alleged that the BJP and Tipra Motha had made several promises to the tribal population but failed to translate those commitments into meaningful action.

He said Congress governments in the past had taken several initiatives for the political, social and economic empowerment of tribal communities, including the formation of the district council, implementation of forest rights, reservation-related measures and various development programmes.

“In the name of protecting tribal rights, many promises were made, but the people have now been disappointed. The BJP government at the Centre and in the state, along with Tipra Motha, has failed to deliver on those promises,” Saha alleged.

Saha also sought to question the political understanding between the BJP and Tipra Motha, pointing out that the two parties had been political rivals during the TTAADC elections but are now exploring an alliance for the Village Council polls.

According to him, the emerging BJP-Tipra Motha understanding exposes what he described as the “political compulsion” behind their tribal outreach.

“They fought against each other in the TTAADC elections and are now seeking to come together for the Village Council elections. This shows that their priority is political survival and electoral calculations, not the genuine interests of tribal people,” Saha said.

The Congress leader claimed that the upcoming Village Council elections would provide an opportunity for voters to judge the performance of the parties that have governed or represented them.

He said Congress would campaign on issues concerning tribal rights, development, employment and welfare, while seeking to regain political ground in the state’s tribal belt.

“We have always stood for the interests of the tribal people and will continue to do so. We are seeking their support and will fight the Village Council elections with renewed strength,” Saha said.