Let's join hands and fight together: Deb Barma to BJP ally IPFT

'People and posts are temporary but our rights are permanent and so we must fight together for our rights,' Barma said

Tripura's Royal scion and chief of Tipra Motha, a forum of regional parties, Pradyot Deb Barma have appealed to Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of BJP to join hands and fight the Assembly elections together on one symbol.

"I want to fight the 2023 elections positively. I don't want to spread hatred. This is the right time to be united. I want to appeal to IPFT to be united. NC Debbarma (IPFT president) is no more. You will get nothing. Your demand and our demand is the same. So come forward...let's raise our voice together. I am ready to fight under one symbol," Pradyot said in a Facebook live video on Saturday.

"People want thansa (unity). People are more important than the party. What is in a name, you decide the name," he said. "We want unity of the Hindus, Muslims, Bengalis, tribals, Nepalis and all other communities to fight for our rights. People and posts are temporary but our rights are permanent and so we must fight together for our rights."

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The call for unity comes days after NC Debbarma died and BJP decided to retain the alliance with IPFT, its regional ally since 2018. NC Debbarma was a minister in the BJP-led government.

Both IPFT and Tipra Motha have support bases in the areas dominated by the tribals and a separate state for the Tripuris is the demand of both the regional political outfits.

The IPFT has still remained with BJP even as the saffron party turned down the demand for a separate state. This is believed to be one of the reasons for IPFT's dwindling support base among the tribals, particularly in the Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas. Tipra Motha defeated the IPFT and BJP in the TTAADC elections in March last year and Pradyot's party is targeting the tribal votes in the Assembly elections. The party plans to contest in 50 out of 60 Assembly seats.

The TTAADC areas cover two-third geographical areas of Tripura and have at least 20 Assembly seats.

Pradyot is against an alliance with any national party without a written promise about fulfilling its demand for a separate state. "Why are they making the announcement about projects in Tripura just before the elections? Why did they not do so earlier? They will make a lot of promises before elections and forget thereafter," Deb Barman said, hinting at Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Tripura on Thursday in which he made a lot of promises.