May 09, 2018: The IPFT – ally of BJP in Tripura – is aggressively persuading demand for a separate state for tribal people as well as trying to establish its supremacy in Hill Tripura. With elections in Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and Lok Sabha polls are ensuing, many think that IPFT has adopted ‘pressure’ technique to derive maximum benefits for the Party. However, this has created tension among the BJP-IPFT.
“IPFT wants to achieve total control of TTAADC in ensuing elections as well as one Lok Sabha seat and induction of one more IPFT MLA into State Cabinet. For this, tribal people who support BJP are reportedly facing hard time and henceforth tension is escalating between BJP-IPFT.
In its bid to quell growing rift between BJP-IPFT supporters, both the parties agreed to form a 5-member State level Co-ordination Committee consisting of Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Deb Varman, BJP state general secretaries – Pratima Bhowmik and Rajib Bhattacharjee, IPFT’s NC Debbarma and Mebar Kumar Jamatia.
“The ugly face of rift was exposed when BJP MLA of Korbook Burbu Mohan Tripura was assaulted allegedly by IPFT activists recently. As Police swung into action and registered cases against IPFT activists based MLA’s complaints, IPFT retaliated with road blockade at several places under Gomati District and raised slogan for separate Twipraland.
Even before tension receded, IPFT on Tuesday staged agitation demanding Twipraland in Manu area under Dhalai district. Later a clash between BJP-IPFT broke out at Chaumanu area in which 23 party workers were injured and six vehicles were ransacked.
Leaders of both the parties are claiming that new entrants in the Party were creating troubles and chaos.
Several people are also holding ‘conspiracy theory’ against the alliance responsible for deteriorating relation between BJP-IPFT. In fact, similar conspiracy theory was mooted by erstwhile Left Front Government when IPFT staged road blockade at Barmura on Assam-Agartala National Highway. At that time, CPIM leaders pointed fingers of suspicion at State BJP and Union Ministers. With change in political scenario in Tripura, almost same theory re-surfaced with an exception of alleged involvement of different players.
However, another section of political analysts discarded the conspiracy theory and found ‘pressure technique’ theory as more plausible. “The formation of Co-ordination Committee is a significant initiative – now it remains to be seen how far the Committee can achieve in defusing the tension”, said an Agartala based Journalist.
