IPFT calls 24 hour ADC strike, may fight polls alone
Amidst looming Corona threat, political mercury in Hill Tripura is soaring high gradually. Regional Party IPFT - also an ally in ruling coalition - has called a 24 hour strike in ADC area on Thursday. The Party is demanding release of one of its arrested member on bail.
The TTAADC, which is now being run by a Governor appointed administrator after completion of erstwhile Left ruled council’s tenure, is witnessing an undercurrent of apprehensions and tensed atmosphere as some of the regional political parties had begun poll process in the hills using no-hold-barred technique.
Adding up to this, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), the junior ally in the incumbent BJP-IPFT government called a 24 hour strike in demand of releasing one of its workers in bail. The IPFT man is an accused of an attack on BJP state president Dr Manik Saha’s meeting at Khumulwng, the ADC headquarters recently. Assistant general Secretary of IPFT, Mangal Debbarma in a video message informed the media that the IPFT in its central executive meeting had decided to call a strike for falsely implicating one of its active workers— Pradip Debbarma.
Few days ago, Pradip Debbarma along with a few of his accomplices allegedly attacked a BJP meeting in which BJP state chief Dr Saha was present. The BJP filed an FIR with the local Radahpur police station against the miscreants and Pradip was named as one of them.
Accordingly, Pradip was arrested and was slapped with non-bailable charges inviting flaks from the IPFT top-brass.
“Pradip has been falsely implicated and he should be released in bail at the earliest. We will observe a strike in the Khumulwng in demand of his speedy release. Otherwise, intensified agitations will be orhanizedd”, Mangal Debbarma said.
In the meantime, IPFT insiders, however, said, the party was is planning to go to the polls alone if necessity emerges.
“The BJP still seemed unwilling to carry out talks in regard to the ensuing ADC polls. It is understood that amidst this pandemic situation, all the crucial meetings and talks are deferred due to the government imposed restrictions. But, being the coalition’s big brother, it is the duty of the BJP to hold talks with IPFT. The IPFT high command has already decided to prepare a candidate list for the major constituencies” , the source said on condition of anonymity.