Crisis deepens in Regional Party of Tripura, IPFT as sharp difference between two top most leaders surfaced. An ally of the ruling BJP-led government in Tripura, IPFT is facing existential crisis after humiliating defeat in District Council polls last year. Now the situation took an interesting turn as inner party squabbles came to the fore over the president’s chair.
IPFT supremo NC Debbarma was the president of the IPFT before April 2 and 3 last state level conference of the party. After the conference, Mevar Kumar Jamatia ascended to the president’s chair. Remaining mum for more than month, NC Debbarma called an extended State Conference of IPFT on Thursday. Later, Debbarma announced that Mevar Kumar Jamatia had been removed from the post of the president and he was elected as the new president.
Soon after Debbarma made the claim, Mevar Kumar Jamatia held a press meeting today in which he dubbed the decision taken by N.C. Debbarma as ‘unfortunate’. Moreover, Jamatia said that he would go for legal help, if necessary. He also said, the matter would now be placed before the advisory board of the party and senior citizens for discussion.
The inner party conflict took another crucial turn as NC Debbarma made it clear that IPFT had an alliance with BJP and the alliance would continue.
He also pointed out that IPFT is a recognized regional party of Tripura and in no way, the party can be merged with another party. NC Debbarma cautioned and said, “A section including some of the party leaders was trying to create confusion that IPFT would merge with another party. This is not true. We have a poll alliance with BJP and we will continue with it,”
Debbarma’s statement on merger issue bears importance and potentially capable of triggering a vertical split in the party as on earlier occasion, Mevar Kumar Jamatia as the president of the IPFT hinted at merging with another regional party of Tripura, Tipra Motha which is in power at the TTAADC.
If merged, identity of the IPFT would be vanished and its existence, even in papers, would cease to exist – this is what NC Debbarma who built the organization and ran it successfully along with Mevar Kumar Jamatia for around 14 years, could not swallow.
Fuelling scope for a split, on the merger issue, Mevar Kumar Jamatia shot back at Debbarma and said, a bipartite agreement was signed between TIPRA Motha and IPFT on November 25, last year.
Jamatia said, “as per the agreement, both the parties had agreed that after the Delhi Abhiyan they would initiate a process for unifying both the parties as one united political party. The agreement was signed by N.C. Debbarma himself.”
Referring to his inclination for a merger, Jamatia said that he was following the process only.
Notably, both NC Debbarma and Mevar Kumar Jamatia are Ministers of the BJP-led Tripura Government.
As the two top most leaders are trading path, ground level workers seemed to in a hopeless situation and utterly confused. More war of words between NC Debbarma and Mevar Kumar Jamatia is expected – and it remains to be seen as to whether IPFT remains united during its worst crisis period or split or merge with other parties.
