Agartala:
The politics in Tripura may witness a paradigm shift as Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), the ally in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance government, unanimously elected, Mevar Kumar Jamatia as its supremo succeeding octogenarian NC Debbarma. The decision was arrived at after a two-day meeting of the party’s central committee in Agartala, late in the evening of April 3.
Jamatia, who is a minister of Tribal Welfare, was the general secretary of IPFT before his elevation to the top post replacing minister of Revenue Department, Debbarma.
Speaking as the newly elected president of IPFT, Jamatia claimed that the new organisation would work for the revival of the party. “After we came into power, our results were not good in state polls, But, the new team of IPFT is strong enough to revive its organisational base. We have got two young and dynamic leaders in Prasanta Debbarma and Dhananjoy Tripura as the party’s general secretary”, he said.
Apart from Jamatia, MLA Dhananjoy Tripura and MLA Prasanta Debbarma had been elected to the crucial posts of general secretary. The other important positions in the party’s central committee will be filled up in due course of time, said Jamatia.
According to sources, the veteran minister was dropped from the president’s post because of health reasons and has been appointed as the secretary of the party’s advisory committee.
Before the 2018 assembly election in Tripura, IPFT had formed an alliance with BJP and formed the government by winning 44 seats together, of which 8 were won by IPFT and 36 by the saffron party in the 60 seats assembly.
Interestingly, of late, many disagreements have been brewing between the alliance parties and, on several occasions, the BJP has blamed the IPFT’s poor performance as a reason behind the defeat it faced in the polls of sixth schedule areas.
The IPFT, which claims to be the voice of the indigenous people, have been advocating for the Tipraland, saying it’s their core demand and it’s the only solution to all the problems that the indigenous people of the state have been facing.
“It is true that we are in alliance with the BJP but our ideology is different and at times, we can take decisions independently. We feel, Tipraland is the only solution to all the problems that the indigenous people of the state have been facing,” Jamatia said.
Jamatia is known to have maintained a cordial relationship with TIPRA chief Royal Scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma.
Sources in TIPRA, which is now ruling the district council in state, claimed that both the tribal parties would soon form an alliance before the upcoming state assembly poll.
“As the IPFT has made a change in their organisation, the party will soon hold a talk with us. We are also ready because without unity, development of indigenous people is not possible,” a leader of TIPRA told The Meghalayan, in a condition of anonymity.
However, on the other hand, a leader from IPFT said if TIPRA and they fight together and win in the assembly poll, then it will certainly help the indigenous people.
“Our demands are almost similar. And if we come together there will be a unity that will help the indigenous,” an IPFT leader said.