In Tripura battle, ‘king’ may be kingmaker

As the state elections draw near, the Motha, which was formed merely two years ago, has emerged as a crucial factor alongside national parties such as the BJP, Congress and CPI(M). Riding on a homegrown demand for tribal autonomy and banking on Pradyot’s own personal appeal as the descendant of the state’s erstwhile Manikya dynasty, the party may as well end up playing the kingmaker in the event of a close election.

In a state that had more than eight tribal parties merely two years ago, Pradyot’s entry has narrowed the fight down to two of these — his Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which, despite several desertions and defections, is sticking to its 2018 ally, the BJP.

After a series of defections, resignations and deaths of legislators cutting across party lines since the 2018 election, the BJP now has 33 members in the 60-seat House, the IPFT four, CPI(M) 13 and the Congress one; the rest of the seats are vacant.

Two years after he quit the Congress — of which he was state president — in 2019 over differences on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Pradyot set up the Motha, which, riding on his Greater Tipraland demand, swept the tribal council elections of 2021.

The Motha is now contesting in 42 seats — a confidence that many see as overreach considering the party was formed merely two years ago. This includes 22 seats outside the 20 ST seats and marks the first time any tribal party in the state has fielded non-tribal candidates.

While the Motha had swept the 2021 Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, Pradyot’s rivals point to how Assembly elections could be a different ball game considering the ADC areas are spread across the state and scattered across constituencies.

Besides, they say, his party may find low acceptance in non-reserved areas, since the non-tribals are unlikely to warm up to his Greater Tipraland demand given their past memories of violent protests over Tipraland.

Over the last few months, Pradyot has had discussions with nearly all parties, including the ruling BJP and Opposition CPI(M) and Congress. All the alliance talks so far have stumbled on the one point that Pradyot has insisted on: an agreement, in writing, on a Greater Tipraland.

While Pradyot’s ‘Greater Tipraland’ was initially touted as a proposed state for tribals living in Tripura, parts of Mizoram, Assam and parts of Bangladesh, over the last two years, he has reworked his demand as a Constitutional solution under Article 244 A, which provides for autonomy within the state boundaries.

A History graduate from St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, Pradyot claims he is batting for young and educated candidates and says that if voted to power, his party would usher in a cultural change in politics.

“The future of Tripura is in the youth. If youngsters get a chance, new politics can replace the old. Don’t see who is Debbarma, Jamatia, Mog, Reang (tribal groups), there is too much poverty around. I want all our candidates to do something for our community,” he said at Wednesday’s rally at Ampinagar.

While he is only too aware of his royal background, at his rallies, Pradyot does his bit to play down the “bubagra” image. His rally venues are usually without chairs or sofas for dignitaries and everyone, including Pradyot, either stands on the dais or on the ground. Pradyot even plays impressionist, eliciting giggles and claps from his supporters as he mimics movie actors and politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and, at times, his own party members.

Wary of his rise, most parties, with the recent exception of the BJP, have shied away from taking him on. Pradyot is known to share personal relations with leaders cutting across party lines – from Home Minister Amit Shah to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) leaders, including the party’s state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, among others.

Though none of the parties are on board Pradyot’s Greater Tipraland demand, the CPI(M) has hinted at supporting the Motha while the Congress has said it wouldn’t outright reject his Greater Tipraland demand. The Trinamool Congress, which has a marginal presence in the state, has said it is “sympathetic” towards the demand.

However, the BJP, which had until recently stayed silent on Pradyot, has now started hitting out, especially since Union Home Minister Amit Shah openly challenged the Motha two days ago, accusing it of secret ties with the Congress and Communists.

At the Ampinagar rally, Pradyot said, “I belong to a Tripura which doesn’t believe in beating up a Bengali or a Muslim to empower tribals or Hindus. We need further empowerment to protect us and our land and rights. We have asked for Greater Tipraland. If the Government of India has an idea to solve our issues better, they should come ahead and put it on the table. Trying to paint us as communal is not going to cut it.”

As Pradyot continues to hedge his bets, it’s evident that this is an election that will be keenly watched for which way he goes.

When asked about his possible role as kingmaker after the election results are out on March 2, Pradyot said, “There will be no kingmaker. We will win the election. There will be a king and that will not be me… We are new and we want to change the system.”