IPFT to break alliance with BJP; contest polls with 'TIPRA'

AGARTALA: The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is a part of the BJP-led ruling alliance in the state, is all but guaranteed to contest the ensuing with the ADC polls in alliance with the Tipraha Indigenous Regional Progressive Alliance (TIPRA), highly-placed sources have confirmed to Inside Northeast.

Sources told Inside NE that the leaders of both parties are expected to make a formal announcement in the evening today.

This is a big blow for the BJP, which is allied with the IPFT party in Agartala. Furthermore, the IPFT'S alliance with the Pradyot Manikya-led 'TIPRA' bears extra significance as the latter is not a part of the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

Both parties have vehemently opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act. 'Tipra', expressing displeasure at the government's refusal to implement an Assam-like NRC in the state, has now raised the demand for a 'Greater State Tipraland.'

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The IPFT and the BJP came together for the first time in January of 2018 to unseat the Left Front after 25 years.

The next Assembly elections in the state will be held in 2023, which makes it nearly impossible to predict which parties will form alliances for the polls.

The BJP's alliance with the indigenous party first hit a rocky patch in 2019. The BJP's unilateral naming of leaders for the two Tripura Lok Sabha Seats "forced" the indigenous party to make the announcement to contest polls separately, the party's top leaders said.

Earlier, royal scion Pradyot had revealed that he has been holding discussions with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), IPFT-Tipraha – a breakaway faction of the ruling tribal party, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), Tipraland State Party (TSP) and Tripura People’s Front (TPF), among others.

On January 12, the state government filed an affidavit before the Tripura High Court, saying that it would conduct the ADC polls by May 17 this year.

The polls were earlier deferred 'indefinitely' after the COVID-19 landed on India's shores. The tenure of the previous Council expired on May 17, 2020.