Tripura: IPFT ties up with Pradyot Manikya's TIPRA ahead of ADC polls

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AGARTALA:

The ruling BJP in Tripura suffered a "major blow" following the decision of its ally in the government, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) to forge a new alliance with the Pradyot Manikya-led The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) ahead of the election to the Tripura Tribal areas Autonomous district council (TTAADC).

Confirming the development, TIPRA sources told TNT-The Northeast Today that a meeting will be held on Friday at 6.30 pm between TIPRA chairman and royal scion, Pradyot Manikya Deb Barman and IPFT chief NC Debbarma at Ujjayanta Palace, in Agartala.

"The decision to either go for a pre-poll or post-poll alliance will be decided at this meeting," sources informed.

A few days ago, several rounds of talks were held between TIPRA chairman and NC Debbarma.

Sources also informed that besides the IPFT, other regional parties will also merge with TIPRA within one or two days.

Furthermore, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT) will also likely hold a meeting with TIPRA at 8.30 pm on Friday.

TIPRA was formed by Pradyot Deb Barman in 2019 as a non-political organisation. But it was only a few days ago that the royal scion declared TIPRA as a political party that will fight the upcoming ADC election in Tripura.

The election to the Tripura Tribal areas Autonomous district council (TTAADC) will be held very soon. The tenure of ADC ended on 17th May last year but due to the COVID situation, the state government had to postpone the election and an administrator was appointed to lead the ADC.

Later, the Tripura High Court ordered the State Government to conduct the ADC election within 17th May 2021, following an appeal filed by some IPFT backed-lawyers.

It may be mentioned that in the 2018 assembly polls, the BJP and IPFT had forged an alliance and contested the election together where the BJP got 36 out of 51 seats and IPFT won 8 out of 9 seats.

However, in the Parliamentary election, both parties contested solo.

Meanwhile, political parties have started warming up for the upcoming ADC election.

For the last 15 years, CPI-M led left front ruled the ADC and no other party won a single seat in the council.

(Edited by Iban Mawrie)

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