BJP govt will never support demand for 'Greater Tipraland': Manik Saha

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday asserted that the BJP-led government will never support demand like 'Tipraland' or 'Greater Tipraland', a day after a high-level meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma here.

The Tipra Motha, a regional party banking on the 'Greater Tipraland' demand contested the 2023 Assembly elections and emerged as the second largest party by winning 13 seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly.

"We had discussion on tribal welfare on how to uplift the socio-economic condition of the indigenous people. No decision of appointing an interlocutor was taken in the meeting but there will be discussion on the tribal welfare", Saha said.

Soon after the meeting with Union Home Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda, the Tipra Motha supremo claimed that the Central government will officially appoint an interlocutor to look into the problems of indigenous people for taking corrective measures.

The chief minister reiterated that tribal welfare will be a priority sector for the BJP-IPFT government.

Saha said the BJP-IPFT government will work on the vision document unveiled by the party's national president before the 2023 Assembly elections.

Asked about the party's prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the chief minister claimed the BJP will perform better not only in Tripura but also in the entire Northeast.

"We will get more seats in the next general elections than what was the party’s tally in the 2019 elections in the Northeast", he said.

On the first cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said Binoy Bhusan Das was picked as pro-tem speaker of the Assembly and a discussion also took place on the vote on account.

"The portfolios of the new ministers will be distributed shortly", he said, adding that bringing some new faces in the cabinet was a normal exercise of the BJP government. Four ministers of the previous cabinet were dropped this time.

On post-poll violence, the chief minister said "Some reports are coming to my knowledge. A vested interest group is trying to create trouble. I have asked the DGP to handle the situation firmly".