Agartala: July 17: The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a key ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, has announced its plans to contest the upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections with full force.
Speaking at a press meet on Thursday, Tripura Cooperation Minister and senior IPFT leader Shukla Charan Noatia expressed optimism about the party’s prospects in the elections scheduled for next year. “In the 2021 ADC elections, IPFT suffered a shock defeat due to political conspiracies and internal defections. But things have changed over the past five years. Many of our former leaders have returned, acknowledging IPFT’s ideological strength,” Noatia said.
He emphasized that the party is witnessing a significant return of leaders at the divisional level and expressed confidence in improved electoral performance this time.
IPFT President and former Minister Prem Kumar Reang reiterated the party’s core demand for a separate state comprising areas under the Sixth Schedule. “Our struggle for a separate state has been ongoing for 15 years. This was a constitutional demand put forward by our founder, Late NC Debbarma. We continue to walk the path he laid for us,” Reang stated.
On the party’s alliance with the BJP, Reang clarified that while political alliances are based on mutual understanding, the IPFT would not compromise on its ideological stance. “We are a political force and alliances are strategic, but our core demands are non-negotiable,” he added.
With renewed leadership and unwavering ideological commitment, the IPFT is preparing to make a strong comeback in the 2025 TTAADC elections.
