A growing sense of resentment and disappointment with the much-hyped ‘Greater Tipra Land’ demand raised by the TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) leader, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, has reportedly resulted in TMP activists quitting the party at various locations in Tripura. 

On Tuesday (May 9), over 120 TMP activists left the party and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Takarjala under Sepahijala district and Ampi in Gomati district. In both Takarjala and Ampi Assembly Constituencies, TMP candidates won but disillusionment is reportedly palpable against the leadership.

During a joining meeting held at West Takarjala ADC Village, a total of 97 supporters of Tipra Matha Party joined the BJP. The meeting was attended by BJP District General Secretary Rajesh Debbarma, Secretary Nirmal Debbarma, and other leaders. 

At the meeting, 97 voters from 29 families left the TMP and they were welcomed in the BJP by party leaders. 

According to BJP district secretary Nirmal Debbarma, Janajati people several ADCs under Takarjal are eager to join the BJP, and they will be inducted into the party at a later date.

In another joining program, 29 TMP voters in Ampi quit the party and joined BJP. The joining program was conducted under the supervision of Ampi BJP Mandal president Shibnath Jamatia at the BJP party office premises.

Led by local TMP leader Dhananjay Reang of Salka Para, the 29 voters from 9 families were welcomed by the BJP leaders present, including general secretary Prasanta Saha, Kishan Morcha president Ashim Kalai, and many others.

TMP supporters who left the party on Tuesday cited frustration and disappointment with the party as the reason. 

According to them, prior to the ADC election, TMP supremo Pradyot Kishore raised the demand for ‘Greater Tipraland,’ which caught the imagination of the Janajati people who supported the TMP to get a majority in the ADC polls. 

As confusion over geographical boundary of so called emerged, Pradyot Kishore stopped talking about the Greater Tipra land demand, prior to the Assembly Polls 2023, and he raised the demand for constitutional solutions for the Janajati people.

“This change of stance hurt the Janajati people. The party contested 42 seats but did not achieve the expected success as it could manage victory in 13 seats only. Even it failed to win in all 20 ST reserved seats. After the polls, TMP’s supremo is just repeating the lofty and emotional talks that were made before the election but nothing effective happened,” disgruntled TMP supporters said. 

They claimed the future of the TMP appears to be bleak, and it is only the BJP that can uplift the Janajati people of the State.