Agartala, Aug 22 — In what is being seen as a significant political development in Tripura, Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Thursday urged the BJP’s Janajati Morcha to hold talks on common demands related to tribal development.
The appeal comes at a time when the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) continues to expand its influence, particularly in tribal-dominated regions, often at the expense of the BJP’s own Janajati Morcha. The party’s emergence was evident in the TTAADC elections, where TMP defeated both BJP and CPIM to form the council. TMP also posed a formidable challenge to the BJP in the 2023 assembly polls in the state’s hilly areas.
Although BJP and TMP forged a post-poll alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, grassroots-level tensions between workers of both parties in tribal regions remain unresolved.
Addressing his followers on social media, Debbarman said, “We must rise above party politics for the welfare of our society. In Nagaland, despite having 20 tribes with diverse languages and cultures, they approach the Centre with one voice. This is what we must learn from.”
Debbarman revealed that he has already spoken to BJP Tripura Pradesh President Rajib Bhattacharjee on this matter. While acknowledging that differences remain—such as BJP’s reservations on the demand for Roman script and ADC police—he emphasized that there are many areas of agreement.
Citing the BJP manifesto, Debbarman pointed out shared commitments like support for the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, direct funding for the ADC, land rights for tribals, and the establishment of a Central University at Ganda Twisa. “If we unite and raise these issues jointly before the Centre, we can achieve better results,” he asserted.
