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Journalism of Courage
A day after clarifying that it would not ally with any political party without a written agreement on its ‘Greater Tipraland’ demand, a TIPRA Motha delegation led by party supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma started talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi Wednesday. North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chief and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present during the meeting.
Earlier in the day, a TIPRA Motha team comprising party president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, Animesh Debbarma, Mevar Kumar Jamatia, Chitta Ranjan Debbarma and Jagadish Debbarma left for New Delhi from the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala. They met Pradyot Kishore in Delhi later in the day.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for New Delhi, Animesh Debbarma said: “I think Union home minister, Maharaj (Pradyot Kishore) and Assam chief minister had a dialogue last night. We hope that since we are heading to Delhi in such good numbers, all the discussions will happen in the presence of the home minister.”
Asked about the meeting, he said: “Politics has a principle of give and take. So, definitely, if a constitutional solution comes up, certain expectations from TIPRA Motha will also be there. They will want to take something from us as well. Let’s see what happens there.”
Most of the Motha leaders, who were travelling to Delhi Wednesday, were tight-lipped about the meeting and the agenda.
Senior leader Chittaranjan Debbarma said, “We are traveling to Delhi. We were told about a meeting and were asked to go. We don’t know who this meeting is with, our supremo knows. We can’t say anything more at this point.”
Former Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) MLA Brishaketu Debbarma, who joined TIPRA Motha in 2021, was seen travelling to Delhi as well but he said he wasn’t aware of any meeting and was travelling separately.
Later in the afternoon, Pradyot Kishore took to Twitter and clarified, “Contrary to rumours there has been NO talks of seat sharing as reported with any party! We have received intimation from ministry of home affairs that they would like to talk to us on our demand for a constitutional solution to our demand of Greater Tipraland. We have repeatedly said UNTIL we don’t get a written assurances from GOI on the constitutional solution of our demand we will not go in for any alliance leave alone seat sharing. Please don’t jump the gun and relax – we know how to negotiate for our people to the maximum.”
Reacting to speculations on seat-sharing between the BJP and the Motha, Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said, “We aren’t aware of any such discussion at the state level. However, if anyone wishes to come with us, agreeing with our principle of sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas and sabka prayas, we don’t have any problem.”
In a state like Tripura, where 20 out of 60 Assembly seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), the Motha is eyeing to become a force to reckon with in the 2023 polls. With Motha also starting merger talks with BJP ally IPFT, experts feel any party wanting to form government in Tripura will have to take the Motha on board.
Meanwhile, Opposition CPI(M) and the Congress started seat-sharing talks last week. The Opposition parties have repeatedly appealed to the TIPRA Motha to join their alliance.
The polls for the 60-member Tripura Assembly will be conducted in a single phase on February 16. The counting of votes will be held on March 2.
