JOIN USBJP to retain alliance with IPFT in Tripura for next Assembly polls, no ties with Tipra Motha
The BJP in Tripura has decided to retain its ties with Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), its regional ally since the 2018 Assembly polls.
The decision was taken in a meeting with BJP's central leadership in New Delhi recently, in which the party worked out strategies for the Assembly elections slated early next year.
This ends the speculation over possibility of BJP replacing its ally IPFT with Tipra Motha, another regional force led by Royal scion Pradyot Deb Barma. Barma's party has emerged as a strong force since it defeated the IPFT in the elections for Tripura Tribal Area Development Council (TTADC) held in March. The TTADC areas have 20 out of 60 Assembly seats.
BJP sources, however, said more discussions are required to finalise seat sharing arrangements with IPFT.
Sources said the pre-poll alliance with Tipra Motha could not be materialised mainly due to Barma's insistence on its main demand for a seperate Tipraland state for the Tripuris, living mainly in the TTADC areas. Barma has several times said that his party would go for a pre-poll alliance with any party giving in writing about fulfilling its demand for the separate state.
The BJP-IPFT alliance in 2018 had won 43 seats and wrested power from the CPI (M). BJP had won 35 seats while IPFT bagged eight. Two MLAs of IPFT, however, have joined Tipra Motha, due to Barma's call to all Tripuris to join hands to unitedly press for the separate state. BJP, however, is against the demand.
The Opposition CPI (M), Congress and Trinamool Congress, too, have not yet agreed to Tipra Motha's demand. They, however, have called for unity of all the Opposition forces in order to deny BJP its second term. The unity, too, has not materialised yet.