Tripura’s ruling alliance partner Indigenous People’s Front of
Tripura (IPFT) Saturday announced candidates for both the Lok Sabha
seats in state and said the decision was taken after their ally BJP declined to share seats with them.
Addressing a press conference after intense brainstorming on poll
tactics for two days, IPFT supremo NC Debbarma said he would contest
from East Tripura (ST reserved) constituency and youth tribal leader
Suklacharan Noatia would contest as IPFT candidate from West Tripura Lok
Sabha constituency, adding that they would put up a “friendly fight”
with BJP in the upcoming election.
“We are a partner of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and
National Democratic Alliance (NDA). NEDA and NDA partners in Assam and
elsewhere are given chance to contest in Lok Sabha polls. But we were
denied that chance. BJP leaders suggested us to engage in friendly fight
with them at East Tripura Lok Sabha seat and reserve candidate in the
other seat. We have decided to have a friendly fight on both seats,” NC
Debbarma said.
Earlier in the day, Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu
Bhattacharya said his party would contest in both Lok Sabha seats of
Tripura. Bhattacharya also said that BJP is confident of victory in both
seats. “We are not thinking about IPFT at all. They were informed about
our decision way back,” the BJP leader told media. NC Debbarma is also a senior member of the state cabinet and is in charge of the revenue portfolio.
However,
IPFT general Secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia was less impressed with
BJP’s dialogue with them regarding seat sharing arrangement. “We
approached BJP several times to contest in one Lok Sabha seat. But they
declined to agree to our plea. So, we have decided to contest in both
seats alone,” Mevar said. Mevar is also Minister for Forest and Tribal
Welfare in Tripura’s BJP-IPFT government.
IPFT spokesperson Mangal Debbarma said on Wednesday that BJP leaders
did not take them into account while deciding candidates for Lok Sabha
polls from Tripura. The tribal party submitted a memorandum to BJP
president Amit Shah during his visit to Tripura in January this year and
sought to hold dialogue on selection of candidate.
Tripura has
two Lok Sabha seats with 25,98,290 voters scheduled to exercise their
adult franchise rights on April 11 and April 18 at West Tripura and East
Tripura Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. Parliament elections
would be held in the state in two phases this year.
IPFT has eight MLAs in the 60 member Tripura legislative Assembly
while BJP has 36 legislators. The tribal party is the only ally of BJP
in Tripura.
