Tripura elections: Ruling BJP to retain its alliance with IPFT in Assembly polls

The ruling BJP in Tripura on Sunday announced that its pre-poll alliance with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a regional party, would continue in the next Assembly elections slated early next year.

The BJP and IPFT fought the 2018 Assembly elections together and wrested power from the CPI (M). The IPFT won eight seats while BJP bagged 40 in the Assembly of 60.

BJP spokesperson in the state, Subrata Chakraborty on Sunday told reporters in Agartala that the party would continue its alliance with the IPFT and the discussion regarding the seat sharing issue would take place "at the appropriate time."

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This ends the speculation that BJP may end its ties with the IPFT given the regional party's poor show in the elections held for Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC), where TIPRA Motha, a forum of other regional parties led by Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, emerged as a key player. Tripura Motha is now in power of the TTADC but is against alliance with any party not accepting its demand for a separate state for the indigenous Tripuris.

"It is upto the IPFT to strengthen the party and face the elections," Chakraborty said. The tribal belt, having 20 Assembly seats, was a stronghold of IPFT before the 2018 polls.

Although BJP is still seen as the strongest party in the state, exodus of at least four MLAs and change of Biplab Kumar Deb as the Chief Minister due to infighting has become a worry for the saffron party workers. BJP made Manik Saha as its new CM while Deb was elected to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Opposition CPI (M) and Congress have stepped up efforts to unite with an eye to deny BJP the second term in a row.