Trouble mounts for BJP in Tripura as another MLA quits ally IPFT ahead of 2023 polls

Mevar Kumar Jamatia served as the forest and fisheries minister in former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s cabinet, but was dropped in the new cabinet led by Manik Saha in May this year

With barely three months left for the Tripura assembly polls, another legislator from the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), coalition partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tendered his resignation on Tuesday to state assembly speaker Ratan Chakraborty.

A supporter of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura in Agartala. (PTI File Photo)

“I have decided to resign from the membership of the Tripura legislative assembly of 26 Ashrambari Assembly Constituency (ST) from my capacity. Therefore, this letter may be treated as my resignation from your disposal and oblige thereby,” Mevar Kumar Jamatia wrote in his resignation letter. The reason behind his resignation is yet to be known.

He is the third legislator from IPFT to exit the party since last year.

Mevar served as the forest and fisheries minister in former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s cabinet, but was dropped in the new cabinet led by Manik Saha in May this year.

Last month, Dhananjoy Tripura, who won the 2018 polls from Raimavalley assembly constituency in Dhalai district on an IPFT ticket, left the party to join royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s party TIPRA Motha.

A year ago, IPFT legislator Brishaketu Debbarma too left the party to join TIPRA Motha. He won the previous elections from Simna constituency.

Mevar’s wife and close associates too joined TIPRA Motha this year.

Of the 60 assembly seats in Tripura, BJP secured 36 leaving eight for IPFT in the 2018 assembly elections.

With the resignations, the number of IPFT legislators has reduced to five.