Agartala: On a day the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that a large number of people from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal were found during its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma called for a similar exercise in Tripura ahead of the Assembly elections in the state in 2028.
This comes amidst a strong opposition to the process by several political parties in the INDI Alliance, including the Congress, RJD, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party. Several petitions have also been moved in the Supreme Court, which allowed the ECI to go ahead with the revision, but asked it to consider the Aadhaar Card as a proof of identity.
Debbarma called it the ‘Bihar model’ and urged all people in the northeastern states to demand it from regional parties.
“The same exercise should be conducted in Northeast India – especially Tripura – and the officers must include our indigenous Tiprasa people/officers,” Debbarma posted with a photograph of poll officials in Bihar checking voters’ names.
Although Tripura’s Assembly elections are scheduled for March 2028, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is slated to go to polls next year. The Tipra Motha is an apex body of indigenous people that has always claimed changes in the state’s demography due to illegal immigration from Bangladesh, with which the state shares a border.
Debbarma argued that the northeastern states deserve the same electoral scrutiny as Bihar.
“I fail to understand why Bihar is important and northeast is not for EC. Aren’t we also children of India? Time for Tipra Motha MLAs to write to EC to do the same here”, he posted on Facebook.
Debbarma also urged upon people to put pressure on the regional political parties of the northeastern states seeking ‘Bihar model’ of roll revision.
He added, “I request all our northeastern brothers and sisters to put the same pressure on your regional parties to do the same,” he posted.