IPFT, TIPRA to contest the TTADC poll together

The Indigenous Peoples Front ofTripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP i the state, onFriday signed a memorandum of understanding with TiprahaIndigenous People's Regional Alliance (TIPRA) to fight thecoming election to the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous DistrictCoucil.

IPFT president and state revenue minister N C Debbarmaand TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma told ajoint press conference that the alliance was forged not onlyto fight the upcoming tribal council election but also for thedevelopment of the states indigenous community which formsone third of the states total estimated 40 lakh population.

The election to TTADC, which was due on May 17, 2020was postponed by a year and will be held by the same date thisyear due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Seeking to clear the air over the alliance, the IPFTpresident said there are a number of instances that a partywhich has an alliance with a national party has oe with aregional party or group as well. ''So our alliance with BJPwill continue''.

The Indigenous People's Regional Alliance (TIPRA) ofPradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the scion of the Tripuraroyal family, announced the merger of its Tipraland StateParty and IPFT Tipraha group.

TIPRA was renamed Tipraha Indigenous People's RegionalAlliance.

The TIPRA chief if the combine wins it will pass aresolution i the TTADC demanding Greater Tipraland.

The demand for the Tipraland state is the onlyalternative for the continued existence of indigenous tribesin their own land. The Tipraland state will include TTAADCareas and other areas inhabited by the indigenous people ofthe state, he said.

N C Debbarma said, ''We have long been struggling toget rid of the economic and social deprivation faced by theindigenous communities and have demanded a separate state inthe tribal council areas of the state. TIPRA and IPFT areworking with the same goals and will work together to ensureConstitutional rights of tribals of the state''.

IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatiya said theparty is unhappy with the performace of the BJP-led governmetin the state vis-a-vis its implementation of the poll promiseson tribal development and welfare.

''We are not happy at their (BJP) performance inrespect of developing tribal communities. But we are committedto the people. We are still in alliance with BJP and it willcontinue,'' Jamatiya, who is also the state tribal welfareminister, said.

The BJP-IPFT combine had trounced the 25-year-oldMarxist rule in Tripura in 2018.

The Tripurs High Court had directed the State ElectionCommission to conduct the polls within May 17 this year.