Agartala: As elections for 60 assembly constituencies in Tripura draw near, both the opposition and ruling camps are left wondering about the stand of TIPRA Motha.
The responses of leaders from different political parties towards the Tipraha Indigenous Regional Progressive Alliance (TIPRA Motha), founded by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, have changed dramatically over the years. TIPRA Motha has grown from a small regional party to become a perceived threat for both – the right and the Left front.
Both the ruling and opposition camps have tried to persuade the Motha chief, but all efforts have been unsuccessful. Debbarman, who had to take a break from public life due to his illnesses, has been active on social media platforms and has been making regular appeals to party cadres through social media.
Often his party draws criticism from the rivals for being parochial but they are aware of the fact that Pradyot’s presence on any of the sides is required for the formation of the next government. Although BJP does not admit that it wants TIPRA to be a partner in the government, Pradyot often said in public meetings that he was offered a Rajya Sabha berth and nobody turned up from the BJP to refute the claims.
Some sources in the saffron party informed EastMojo that efforts are underway to convince TIPRA motha to form an electoral alliance. “For the BJP, accepting the demand of Greater Tipraland would be a tough call. And TIPRA has remained steadfast in its demand, unlike the IPFT, which excluded its demand for a separate state in the common minimum program before the 2018 assembly elections. At this time, it is understood that TIPRA would not ally with the CPIM or Congress,” sources claimed.
Explaining the reason behind this confidence, the leader said, “Debbarman was forced to leave the Congress after being humiliated for his stand on NRC and CAA. CPIM is the party that always tried to discredit the contribution of Tripura’s royal family towards the development of the state.”
Similar is the case with the opposition front. It took almost a year to issue a joint appeal from Congress and CPIM, but all their efforts to bring Pradyot as a signatory in the appeal went in vain.
A source who is privy to the development in the opposition camp said, “The CPIM Central Committee meeting is going to be held at the end of January in Bengal. In all likelihood, a formal green signal for the Left-Cong alliance in Tripura would be approved by the party’s top body. The politburo has already empowered the regional leaders to make decisions based on the political situations prevailing in the states where the Left carries a weight.”
The Congress, on the other hand, has found new energy with the arrival of Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha. The party could at least open its account in the state assembly where it had nothing post-2018 polls. “The Congress and CPIM leaders who have come to the terms of an understanding on the common agenda of secularism are trying hard to coax Pradyot into the fold. However, they failed to make him become one of the signatories. It is quite visible that TIPRA supremo has kept his options open”, a senior Congress leader who did not wish to be named told EastMojo.
Speaking exclusively to EastMojo, Debbarman said, “First of all, I want to make it clear that our party did not get the popular mandate in TTAADC because of BJP, CPIM or Congress. We have come up with an alternative idea that people trusted and voted for.”
On BJP in specific, Debbarman said, “BJP should make up its mind on what they want from us. The national-level leaders want me to be a part of the NDA, while BJP’s Janajati Morcha tries to brand our ADC administration as corrupt. Their Tribal Welfare Minister Rampada Jamatia shouts abusive words on TIPRA. They should first take a decision whether they want us on their side or not.”
The TIPRA supremo, however, refused to make any comments on the growing proximity between CPIM and Congress stating that it is an internal matter of both parties. “I should not make any comments on such issues which are beyond my prerogative,” he added.
He also hinted that his party is fully prepared for the 2023 elections. “The time has changed. Tripura will side with a regional party. We will be coming out with our manifesto and other poll-related plans very shortly,” he said, adding that he might return to Tripura within the next three to four days.
Sources said TIPRA has plans to field candidates in as many as 40 assembly constituencies that also include the strongholds of all the outfits that try to brand themselves as mainstream parties.
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Beyond the 20 tribal reserved seats where Motha is expected to perform better than any other party, there are 12 to 14 seats where tribal votes constitute a substantial fraction of the total voters. Even though TIPRA could not win the seats despite making a clean sweep of the tribal votes, it could alter the results for other parties contesting for the throne of Tripura.
Veteran journalist and political commentator Sekhar Datta said the political situation in Tripura is in a state of flux. “Any political party has every right to contest the elections in whatever strength they desire. For TIPRA, I would say, the party has gained influence in the last two years but whether this is enough for victory in the majority of the seats is still not clear. Even though they have maintained an independent line, they may have to throw their weight behind a national political party in the future. We have to wait and watch for that,” Datta added.
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