Pradyot Manikya appeals IPFT to join hands with Congress against BJP

Agartala, March 28, 2019:

After the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) party’s talks with the BJP with the BJP party bore no fruit, the party is now apparently talking to rivals Congress ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state.

The IPFT had been in an alliance with the BJP since the last Assembly elections in the state in 2018 and the two parties came to power and formed a coalition Government, but things have been rocky ever since as the IPFT party also rejected the BJP’s controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.

Now, the opposition Congress seems to taking advantage of this rift as late last night on Wednesday, Tripura Congress president Pradyot Manikya visited NC Debbarma, the head of the IPFT party at his residence. The meeting between the two leaders lasted until midnight after which Manikya addressed the press. He said: “The last date for withdrawal of Tripura West seat is tomorrow. We all know that almost everyone has come on one platform to defeat the BJP. CPI is not even in the race and the fight is between the Congress and BJP. So we have come to appeal N C Debbarma that in the interest of the people who have spoken against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which the BJP wants to bring back to power, let us not divide the vote and work to defeat the BJP.”

NC Debbarma said that he has called an urgent Central Executive Committee meeting on Thursday to discuss on the Congress proposal sand it remains to be seen whether the two parties will come to an understanding and unite to defeat the BJP and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.