As CPI(M)-Congress inch closer in Tripura, challenge grows for ruling BJP-IPFT

The Opposition CPI(M) and Congress in Tripura on Friday began talks for seat-sharing arrangements for the Assembly elections slated for next month. The two parties, at the same time, again appealed to Tipra Motha, a regional party with a growing support base in the tribal-dominated constituencies, to join hands for an anti-BJP front and deny BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) their second term in a row.

"We are against BJP and we would appeal to all Opposition parties to come together," was the common call by AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar and CPI(M) general secretary in Tripura Jitendra Choudhury after their meeting in the CPI(M) state headquarters at Agartala on Friday evening. The call came on a day Tipra Motha Chief and Tripura's erstwhile Royal scion, Pradyot Deb Barma met IPFT general secretary Aghore Debbarma and handed over a written invitation reiterating his call for unity and fight the elections together with the demand for a separate state for the indigenous Tripuris.

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IPFT has not yet made its stand clear regarding Tipra Motha's invitation. Similarly, Tipra Motha too has not replied to the call for unity by both CPI(M) and Congress. Sources within BJP, however, believe that even if Tipra Motha decides to contest elections without joining the CPI(M)-Congress alliance, the changing equation in the Opposition camp would throw more challenges to the saffron party compared to 2018. The United CPI(M)-Congress would be a challenge in the constituencies with Hindu Bengali votes, it's support base and sailing against Tipra Motha in at least 20 constituencies under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) is likely to get tougher both for BJP and IPFT. Tipra Motha defeated BJP and IPFT in the TTADC elections held in March and has been in power since then.

The IPFT, which fought elections in the past on the separate state issue, however, has not only lost the TTADC elections but saw a few MLAs switching over to Tipra Motha. Their tribal support base is dwindling mainly due to the BJP's rejection of the separate Statehood. Pradyot on Friday told IPFT that they should fight the elections together as their demand is the same (separate state).

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CPI(M) in 2018 had won 16 seats in 2018 with over 42 per cent vote share. Sources in CPI(M) believe that their vote share this time would increase as there is a growing clamour against BJP mainly due to "large-scale violence."

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday stepped up attack on both CPI(M) and Congress and their efforts to fight the elections together. "The parties who resorted to violence against each other till a few months ago are joining hands. People are watching closely and they will reject such an alliance. They don't see the kind the development we have done in the past five years and are only trying to hoodwink the people," Saha told reporters at Agartala when asked about the possible impact of the Opposition alliance on BJP's prospects.