Tripura: Jolt to BJP-IPFT govt as MLA Brishaketu Debbarma resigns, could join TIPRA

Agartala: In a setback for the ruling BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) government in Tripura, an IPFT MLA from Simna constituency, Brishaketu Debbarma on Tuesday tendered his resignation before the speaker.

“I Sri Brishaketu Debbarma was duly elected as MLA from the 1-Simna (ST) Assembly Constituency in the Tripura Assembly Election, 2018 as a candidate from the IPFT and now due to some personal reason I am tendering my resignation as MLA from the said Assembly constituency; in this regard, I would like to request you kindly to consider my this letter as resignation letter attracting the above and also to accept the same immediately all codal formalities,” Debbarma said.

When contacted, Speaker Rebati Mohan Das confirmed the receipt of the letter from the IPFT MLA. A meeting had been called on Wednesday in this regard, adding, “The Chief Minister, IPFT chief Narendra Chandra Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma will remain present in the meeting.”

IPFT assistant general secretary and spokesperson Mangal Debbarma said he would not comment and that his party would meet to discuss the matter.

The BJP-IPFT alliance defeated the Left Front government in the 2018 general assembly elections, winning 44 out of 66 seats. The BJP won 36 seats while its ally IPFT won 8 out of 9 seats that it contested.

Sources confirmed that the exit of the IPFT MLA was planned, and he would join the Tipraha indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) shortly in presence of the party chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman.

The development comes hardly three months after the defeat of IPFT against TIPRA in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). TIPRA was elected to power with 18 out of 28 elected member seats. The BJP won 9 seats while one went to an independent candidate.