As part of the strategy to fight the ensuing Tripura Assembly polls, the core committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) had an important meeting to discuss the issue of pre-poll alliance at the State Guest House here on Wednesday.
North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tripura BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP’s central observer Sunil Deodhar, IPFT president NC Debbarma, general secretary Mewar Kumar Jamatia and others were present in the crucial meeting.
Regarding the IPFT leaders’ recent meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and also with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NEDA convenor Sarma said, “Those meetings were held on the socio-cultural development of the tribal section of people of Tripura. But the ruling CPI-M of Tripura is trying to mislead the people of the State by spreading a rumour that the BJP has accepted the IPFT’s demand of separate tribal State – Twipraland – which is completely false.”
BJP leader Sarma also added, “A final decision on BJP’s alliance with the IPFT for the State Assembly elections will be taken today and if the alliance takes place, in no situation, the BJP would support the separate tribal State demand.”
On the other hand, IPFT president NC Debbarma said that during their meetings with the PM and the Union Home Minister in Delhi, they had discussions on the socio-culture development of the tribal people. He also claimed that they wanted support of the BJP towards their demand for a separate State in Tripura.
It may be mentioned that the BJP has emerged as the main challenger to the ruling Left Front in Tripura. The Left Front, which governed Tripura from 1978 to 1988, again came to power in 1993 and since then it has been ruling the State.