Agartala: TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Monday made a clarion call to the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally in the BJP-led government, to come under the same roof as both the parties have ideological similarities.
With barely nine months left for the general elections to the Tripura Assembly, it seems that the stage is almost set for a multi-party contest but all parties, including the regional ones, are trying hard to minimise the count of rivals.
On his bid to convince the IPFT, the TIPRA Motha chief said that the merger is for the greater cause of Tiprasa (indigenous people of Tripura) people.
Lashing out at a section of people whom he termed ‘conspirators’, Debbarman said: “Attempts are being made to create division between the Tiprasa people for political gains. I want to remind you all, this is new Tripura, the young generation can’t be fooled so easily,” he said.
“I want to appeal to the IPFT that they should come and join us. Let’s form a single party. There is no point in fighting for the same cause staying separate. This is for the greater good and ultimately our people will get benefited. We want a constitutional solution for our people,” he said during a video address to his followers.
It may be mentioned here that relations between IPFT and TIPRA remained full of upheavals. Both the parties came so close to each other that an agreement of alliance was signed just ahead of the TTAADC elections. But, IPFT stepped back and fought the polls with BJP only to draw a blank. Despite the rise of TIPRA Motha in the IPFT’s stronghold, the party still has influence in the hills which Pradyot Kishore Debbarman does not want to lose at any cost.
On a recent joining programme where many TIPRA supporters switched over to the saffron party, he said “If someone leaves the party or compromises with the cause of our fight is a betrayal with our people. I left Congress to fight for our people. I was offered plum posts but I was not interested as my only purpose is to fight for our people.”
Assam: Mevani rearrested for ‘assaulting’ policewoman in Barpeta