Agartala, : Strain relation between two partners of BJP- IPFT government in Tripura became fragile following violence among the supporters of both the parties in the state. There were more than 54 incidences of violence between BJP and IPFT supporters in the tenure of 15 months of the government.
Now the leadership of both the parties came under pressure from their workers and frontal organisations to snap the tie and break the coalition, which appeared as significant ahead of three-tier panchayat elections in next month and election to autonomous district council (ADC) end of the year.
The differences became wider early this year when IPFT had joined hand with its opposition group led by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Dev Burman opposing Citizenship Amendment Bill. At a time, when BJP was made strong stands against the IPFT’s demand of separate state for tribal, IPFT leaders were openly stated that they would not step back from their core demand.
Later, IPFT had started demanding East Tripura tribal reserved seat for them to contest in Loksabha election, BJP outrightly rejected it. Finally, IPFT had landed it’s president and Revenue Minister of Biplab Kumar Deb’s cabinet N C Debbaram in East Tripura seat while IPFT MLA from Simna Brishketu Debbarma fought against BJP separately from West Tripura.
According to report, soon after BJP’s landslide victory in both the seats of Tripura and formation of BJP government led by Narendra Modi, BJP leadership has been facing pressure from their organisations and workers to remove both the IPFT members from the cabinet and break the coalition because none of the IPFT candidates could secure less than five per cent vote in Lok Sabha.
Similarly, IPFT leaders were getting the same pressure six months after the formation of government when BJP and IPFT were in loggerhead to capture block development council in rural administrative blocks. Apart from that as many as three BJP MLAs and an MP were faced criminal attack from IPFT workers in last one year and there were huge violence and bloodshed in the tribal areas between two partners.
Meanwhile, IPFT has also alleged that BJP leaders have not been complying with their commitment and the principle of the coalition that led them to fight separately in Lok Sabha and series of violence among the supporters. Though top leaders of both the parties want to retain the partnership, the ground level workers are not ready to adjust anymore, which put the parties in trouble.
Yet, BJP has not come out with any formal statement after it’s MP Rebati Tripura’s house was attacked and family members were assaulted allegedly by IPFT workers on June 14 night, in a late night statement, IPFT made it clear that in the present situation they would not be able to continue the alliance with BJP. In the 60 –members’ house, BJP has 36, CPI (M) has 16 and IPFT has 8 members.
Tribal welfare minister and IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia said, “Their workers have been facing attack and assault from BJP and it would not be possible to continue in the coalition government and have an alliance with the BJP in the interest of his party”.
The IPFT sat in a meeting today to discuss the present situation and decide the future of the alliance.
UNI.
