[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Friday announced that they would contest the upcoming Tripura elections without any alliance. There were speculations that the ruling BJP will form an alliance with the Tripura regional party for the February 16 elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) held a meeting in New Delhi to finalise candidates. Also several oppositions leaders like former Tripura TMC chief Subal Bhowmik and CPM leader Moboshar Ali joined the BJP in the presence of chief minister Manik Saha.
Demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’
Debbarma, whose party has been demanding a separate “Greater Tipraland”, said they will not have any alliance in this election.
“No alliance – my heart does not agree and so I have made my decision that I cannot accept New Delhi’s offer! Jitega toh jitega harega toh harega but one last fight to karke rahega (whether we win or lose, we will put up one last fight)! I can’t betray our cause and our people,” the scion of the royal house of Tripura said in a social media post.
Debbarma had said on January 25 that his party had “received an intimation” from the ministry of home affairs for a talk on their “Greater Tipraland” demand.
“We attended a meeting and heard them patiently but the Government of India has not given us any written assurance for a constitutional solution to our demand,” he rued.
“Until the Government of India gives any written assurance for a constitutional solution, we will not go for any coalition … We will fight the February 16 elections to defeat those who are opposing the Greater Tipraland demand,” the royal scion said.
He also took a potshot at the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is currently an ally of the ruling BJP, saying that since 1977, every regional ‘Tiprasa’ party has been going to Delhi before elections and signing agreements but the people get nothing after polls.
Notably, two IPFT leaders had gone to Delhi before the 2018 assembly elections and signed an agreement with the Centre.
Debbarma had recently said his party would field candidates in 40-45 seats and give tickets to non-Tiprasa (non-tribal) people. In at least 20 of the 60 assembly seats, tribal people hold considerable clout electorally.
BJP to finalise candidates
Meanwhile, a meeting under the chairmanship of BJP president JP Nadda, was held at the party headquarters in Delhi to finalise candidates, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura CM Saha, his deputy Jishnu Dev Verma, Union minister and state MP Pratima Bhoumik, former Tripura CM Biplab Deb, Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Satyanarayan Jatiya and Sarbananda Sonowal, besides election in-charge Dr Mahesh Sharma were among those present in the meeting.
According to news agency ANI quoting sources, most of the 60 candidates’ names will be finalised. “The leaders will discuss a strategy to win the election with a majority, and there will also be brainstorming on February 27 Meghalaya and Nagaland assembly elections,” a source said.
Left-Congress alliance
On the other hand, the CPM-led Left Front and Congress have formed an alliance for the upcoming election. The LF announced its candidates for 47 assembly constituencies on Wednesday, leaving 13 seats to the Congress, while dropping eight sitting MLAs, including Moboshar Ali who joined the BJP on Friday. The Kailasahar assembly constituency, from where Ali was elected in 2018 polls, was given to the Congress.
Meanwhile, the Congress seemed unhappy. Party’s lone MLA Sudip Roy Barman said that they had first demanded 27 seats and then came down to 23. “They (LF) have taken the decision as per their whims and wishes,” Roy Barman had told news agency IANS.
The allies, however, agree on at least one point, that is not agreeing to the idea of the “Greater Tipraland”.
The LF has also dropped four-time CM and CPM’s politburo member Manik Sarkar, party stalwart and former minister Badal Chowdhury, former ministers Tapan Chakraborty, Sahid Chowdhury and Banulal Saha on health grounds.
Opposition leaders join BJP
Apart from CPM MLA Ali, former MLA Subal Bhowmik also joined the BJP on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha and several other BJP leaders, including Sambit Patra, Mahesh Sharma and Anil Baluni.
Both lauded the BJP and claimed that the state has seen development in many sectors under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the country.
Former Tripura TMC chief Subal Bhowmik also joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital on Friday.
Bhowmik too lauded the development in the Northeast during the past eight years.
“The work of six National Highways is underway in a small state like Tripura. The state has also got an international airport,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Billal Mia and few other leaders are also likely to join the saffron party in Delhi, party sources said on Friday.
The results of all three states will be declared on March 2.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC) held a meeting in New Delhi to finalise candidates. Also several oppositions leaders like former Tripura TMC chief Subal Bhowmik and CPM leader Moboshar Ali joined the BJP in the presence of chief minister Manik Saha.
Demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’
Debbarma, whose party has been demanding a separate “Greater Tipraland”, said they will not have any alliance in this election.
“No alliance – my heart does not agree and so I have made my decision that I cannot accept New Delhi’s offer! Jitega toh jitega harega toh harega but one last fight to karke rahega (whether we win or lose, we will put up one last fight)! I can’t betray our cause and our people,” the scion of the royal house of Tripura said in a social media post.
Debbarma had said on January 25 that his party had “received an intimation” from the ministry of home affairs for a talk on their “Greater Tipraland” demand.
“We attended a meeting and heard them patiently but the Government of India has not given us any written assurance for a constitutional solution to our demand,” he rued.
“Until the Government of India gives any written assurance for a constitutional solution, we will not go for any coalition … We will fight the February 16 elections to defeat those who are opposing the Greater Tipraland demand,” the royal scion said.
He also took a potshot at the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is currently an ally of the ruling BJP, saying that since 1977, every regional ‘Tiprasa’ party has been going to Delhi before elections and signing agreements but the people get nothing after polls.
Notably, two IPFT leaders had gone to Delhi before the 2018 assembly elections and signed an agreement with the Centre.
Debbarma had recently said his party would field candidates in 40-45 seats and give tickets to non-Tiprasa (non-tribal) people. In at least 20 of the 60 assembly seats, tribal people hold considerable clout electorally.
BJP to finalise candidates
Meanwhile, a meeting under the chairmanship of BJP president JP Nadda, was held at the party headquarters in Delhi to finalise candidates, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura CM Saha, his deputy Jishnu Dev Verma, Union minister and state MP Pratima Bhoumik, former Tripura CM Biplab Deb, Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Satyanarayan Jatiya and Sarbananda Sonowal, besides election in-charge Dr Mahesh Sharma were among those present in the meeting.
According to news agency ANI quoting sources, most of the 60 candidates’ names will be finalised. “The leaders will discuss a strategy to win the election with a majority, and there will also be brainstorming on February 27 Meghalaya and Nagaland assembly elections,” a source said.
Left-Congress alliance
On the other hand, the CPM-led Left Front and Congress have formed an alliance for the upcoming election. The LF announced its candidates for 47 assembly constituencies on Wednesday, leaving 13 seats to the Congress, while dropping eight sitting MLAs, including Moboshar Ali who joined the BJP on Friday. The Kailasahar assembly constituency, from where Ali was elected in 2018 polls, was given to the Congress.
Meanwhile, the Congress seemed unhappy. Party’s lone MLA Sudip Roy Barman said that they had first demanded 27 seats and then came down to 23. “They (LF) have taken the decision as per their whims and wishes,” Roy Barman had told news agency IANS.
The allies, however, agree on at least one point, that is not agreeing to the idea of the “Greater Tipraland”.
The LF has also dropped four-time CM and CPM’s politburo member Manik Sarkar, party stalwart and former minister Badal Chowdhury, former ministers Tapan Chakraborty, Sahid Chowdhury and Banulal Saha on health grounds.
Opposition leaders join BJP
Apart from CPM MLA Ali, former MLA Subal Bhowmik also joined the BJP on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha and several other BJP leaders, including Sambit Patra, Mahesh Sharma and Anil Baluni.
Both lauded the BJP and claimed that the state has seen development in many sectors under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the country.
Former Tripura TMC chief Subal Bhowmik also joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital on Friday.
Bhowmik too lauded the development in the Northeast during the past eight years.
“The work of six National Highways is underway in a small state like Tripura. The state has also got an international airport,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Billal Mia and few other leaders are also likely to join the saffron party in Delhi, party sources said on Friday.
The results of all three states will be declared on March 2.
#Regional #party #Tipra #Motha #solo #Tripura #polls #India #News
