Tipra Motha to field candidates in 40-45 seats in Tripura election

Agartala: Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said his regional party will field candidates in 40-45 seats in the Tripura Assembly election.

Election to the 60-member Tripura Assembly is due in February March this year.

Debbarma said his party will give tickets to non-Tiprasa (non-tribal) people also.

"I will give tickets to non-Tiprasa people too as we did in the Surma Assembly by-election in Dhalai district ...", the royal scion told a press conference here on Tuesday.

"I do not want to split votes to stop wrong elements to get elected. The party will put up candidates where winning is possible", Debbarma said.

He said his party appealed to BJP-ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) for unification as it did not want division of tribal votes, but has not received any response from the IPFT.

"I appealed to the IPFT leaders for unification of both parties for unity forgetting the name but it seems they are in talks with the BJP", he said.

The Tripura Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance or Tipra Motha, a regional political party led by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, seeks a 'greater Tipraland', a separate state for the indigenous people of Tripura.

Tipra Motha had won the elections to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in 2021 and has a strong presence in the 20 tribal seats in the state.

Debbaram said his regional party wants 'greater Tipraland' under Article 2 and 3 of Indian constitution.

"We have been demanding greater Tipraland under Article 2 and 3 of the Indian constitution. If the Central government has a better idea please tell us in writing because the people don't believe in the words of politicians", he said at a press conference.

Article 2 of the Constitution states that Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new states on such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit while Article 3 empowers Parliament may by law form a new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing states.

The Tipra Motha supremo on Monday said he will not forge an electoral alliance with any political party until a written assurance on 'greater Tipraland' is given to his regional party.

The CPI(M) and Congress on Friday announced that they will fight the Tripura assembly elections together.