Tripura: Split appears in ruling BJP’s ally over separate statehood demand

A faction of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), an alliance partner of the ruling BJP, switched over to royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s party, TIPRA Motha on Saturday

Barely six months ahead of the Tripura Assembly elections, a faction of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), an alliance partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), switched over to royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s party, TIPRA Motha, on Saturday, accusing IPFT of playing as a B team of the BJP and abandoning its demand for the separate statehood of Tipraland.

The rebel IPFT faction has accused the party of playing as a B team of the BJP and abandoning its demand for the separate statehood of Tipraland. (File Photo/PTI)

Leaving Congress in 2019, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma floated the TIPRA Motha in February last year. Two months later, the party came to power in the autonomous district council last year.

Over 11,000 voters from different parts of the state including some leaders of IPFT joined the party saying that TIPRA Motha is the only party struggling for the separate statehood honestly.

“We came to the IPFT as it promised Tipraland. But they betrayed the people. Many more IPFT leaders are expected to join the party after September,” said IPFT general secretary Dhananjoy Tripura after joining TIPRA Motha.

The factionalism within the IPFT was visible after IPFT MLA Brishaketu Debbarma resigned on June 29 last year citing personal reason and later joined TIPRA Motha. His resignation is yet to be accepted.

Earlier in May, IPFT minister Mewar Kumar Jamatia, who expressed his support to the TIPRA Motha, was dropped from the cabinet after Manik Saha replaced Biplab Kumar Deb as the chief minister. His wife and supporters joined the party last month.

IPFT president NC Debbarma has dismissed allegations that his party has abandoned the statehood demand. On June 25, he said that a delegation of IPFT will observe Tipraland Statehood Demand Day in New Delhi on August 23.

The IPFT came to power in alliance with the saffron party in the state securing eight seats in the 60-seated Assembly in 2018.