TMP chief meets BPF president Hagrama Mohilary, stresses regional unity in NE

Guwahati/Agartala, Oct 5 (IANS) In an interesting political development, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), on Sunday emphasised the need for regional unity in Northeast.

TMP chief Debbarma on Sunday attended the oath-taking ceremony of Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) President Hagrama Mohilary, who assumed charge as the CEM of the BTC in Assam’s Kokrajhar district on Sunday. BJP’s ally, TMP leader Debbarma, had earlier also participated in the election campaign in support of the BPF.

Elections to the 40-member, politically significant tribal autonomous council were held on September 22, in which the BPF won 28 seats, while the BJP and its ally, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), secured five and seven seats, respectively.

The BPF, thus, ousted the UPPL from power in the BTC.

Taking to social media platforms X and Facebook, Debbarma wrote: “Met Hagrama Mohilary at the swearing-in ceremony at Kokrajhar. I am glad that we campaigned together despite many who were opposed to see us together. Regional unity and voice is a must.”

Releasing a joint photograph of Debbarma and Mohilary, a post from the TMP said: “Two Tigers in One Frame — Bubagra Pradyot Bikram Manikya with Hagrama Mohilary (BPF chief and the newly elected Chief Executive Member of the Bodoland Territorial Council) after his oath-taking ceremony today at Kokrajhar.”

Though Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has recently claimed that the BPF is a partner of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mohilary has already clarified that if the UPPL remains a part of the NDA, the BPF would not join the coalition.

“The BJP must drop UPPL from the NDA. Only then will we be part of the coalition,” the BPF chief had said. In Tripura, a “sweet-and-sour relationship” continues between the ruling BJP and its ally TMP.

In recent months, clashes between workers of both parties have been reported, injuring more than 15 BJP members in separate incidents.

Ahead of the early next year’s election to the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), both the BJP and TMP are separately working to expand their base among tribals.

Recently, in a series of gatherings, several hundred TMP members and supporters joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Since 2021, the TMP has been governing the 30-member TTAADC, which covers two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area and is home to over 12.16 lakh people, about 84 per cent of whom are tribals.

The TMP, accusing the BJP government in Tripura of failing to act against illegal infiltrators, has been agitating for their immediate deportation.

The party has also called a 12-hour shutdown in the state on October 13 to press for its demand.

Meanwhile, a TMP delegation led by Debbarma met the Chief Election Commissioner, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister, and BJP President J.P. Nadda in Delhi in July and August, urging a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Tripura’s electoral rolls — similar to the exercise being conducted in Bihar.

The delegation also discussed with the Home Minister and BJP President the early implementation of the tripartite accord signed in March last year to fulfill the Constitutional rights of indigenous people and improve their socio-economic conditions.

The TMP had held a demonstration in Delhi on September 9 to press for its three-point demands — implementation of the tripartite accord, deportation of illegal migrants from Tripura, and protection of indigenous rights.

The party has also been demanding a “Greater Tipraland”, a separate state for tribals under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution and early conduct of long-pending village committee elections within the TTAADC areas.

After year-long deliberations and the signing of the tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2 last year, the then opposition TMP, with 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led coalition government in the state on March 7 (2024), adding a new twist to Tripura’s political landscape.

Two TMP MLAs — Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma — were inducted into the ministry headed by Chief Minister Manik Saha.

--IANS

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