TIPRA emerges as single-largest party, set to form tribal council

Agartala: The Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) looks set to form the council with an absolute majority in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. According to sources in the state election commission, the party has a decisive lead on 18 of the 28 seats, and their victory announcement is a mere formality now. 

Sources said the BJP looks set to win nine out of 14 seats it contested while its ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), is lagging behind all seats in the tribal council.

Speaking with reporters, TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman said TIPRA is winning these elections, but one win would not be enough.

“We have to maintain unity. I appeal to the people to refrain from attacking the party office and houses of the supporters of IPFT, BJP, CPIM and Congress. They too are our people, and we do not want to fight amongst ourselves. If we want unity, then we have to maintain peace. They too will join our party after elections,” Deb Barman said.

Also Read | Tripura: No arrest yet over attack on TIPRA chairman Pradyot

He also said that no persons from the indigenous or any other community should be attacked. The party would organise a rally on April 12 to celebrate the win.

“Do not fight amongst yourself, this has continued for 70 years and let the whole of India see how Tiprasa maintain unity even after winning the election,” Deb Barman appealed.

Deb Barman was the state unit President of Congress. He resigned from the party in September 2019 citing differences with the party high command. 

A month later, he announced the name of the new organisation: The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), which was initially a social organization but later in 2020 it turned into a political party.

Speaking with reporters, CPIM leader and former chief executive member (CEM) Radhacharan Debbarma said that the win is for the people as they have exercised their franchise.

“We accept that we lost this election. Why we have lost the election will be discussed and reviewed later by the party, but presently, we can say that it is the win of the people,” Debbarma said. 

On TIPRA winning the polls, he said that in the last three years of the present government, democracy has been under threat.

“People made a promise to each other that they want to defeat the present government which is what we believe was responsible behind the defeat of the government,” Debbarma said.

BJP state chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said that the party contested in 14 constituencies out of which it has led in 9 seats.

“The BJP-IPFT alliance contested the election in 28 seats of which the alliance partner IPFT was given 17 seats but unfortunately their result was not good. We hope the alliance partners will review their performance in the district council polls,” Chakraborty said.

Also Read | Tripura: Confident of ‘absolute majority’ in TTAADC, says Pradyot