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Won’t be part of govt until constitutional demands are met: TIPRA Motha chief
The TIPRA Motha, floated by the Royal scion in 2021, bagged 13 seats in the 60-seated Assembly that went to polls on February 16
Royal scion and TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Tuesday said his party will not be a part of the government without getting constitutional solution for the welfare of tribals in Tripura.
The development comes when the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP-led Tripura government is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
“Till the time we don’t get an honourable constitutional solution for our people we will not be a part of any government! We will play a constructive role as a first indigenous party which has 13 MLAs for the interest of the people,” Pradyot wrote on social media.
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“I will wait for the official response from the Govt of India on how they would like to see the future of our tiprasa in the next decade,” he wrote.
After poll results, Pradyot went to Shillong for few days and arrived in Tripura on Tuesday evening.
“If we become part of the government without giving anything to the community, it will be similar what the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) did in 2018. I got calls from Delhi and we have been offered ministerial berths. But we want constitutional solution. Let Delhi resume talks and we shall think of the government later,” said Pradyot and added that if anyone can think of running Tripura ignoring 30% tribals, everyone will have problems in the coming days.
The IPFT, a regional tribal-based party came to power in 2018 in alliance with the BJP replacing the Left Front that ruled the state for over two decades.
Prior to the alliance, the IPFT was promised about a high-power modality committee set up by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to assess socio-economic, cultural and linguistic problems faced by the tribals and take initiatives for their upliftment in these sectors.
Five years on, the committee’s recommendations are yet to be made public.
The TIPRA Motha, floated by the royal scion in 2021, bagged 13 seats in the 60-seated assembly which went to polls on February 16.
The party was formed keeping Greater Tipraland as its core demand.
The BJP won 32 seats while its ally IPFT got only one seat.
The Left Front got 11 seats while Congress won in three seats. Both the Left and Congress contested together.
With 13 seats, the TIPRA Motha emerged as the main opposition replacing the Left Front.
Dr Manik Saha has been made legislature party leader who staked claim to form government on Monday.
The oath taking ceremony of Dr Saha along with other ruling legislators will be held at Swami Vivekananda maidan on Wednesday in Agartala in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda.
