Major blow to BJP, IPFT in Tripura, four MLAs likely to join TIPRA Motha and Congress

In a huge setback for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in Tripura, three of its loyal MLAs are all set to join TIPRA Motha led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma.

If speculation is said to be true, BJP will soon lose BJP MLA Parimal Debbarma and Birendra Kishore Debbarma to join TIPRA MOTHA and D C Hrangkhawl to join Congress.

Speaking exclusively to India Today NE, Tripura BJP MLA Parimal Debbarma said, "There is no question of joining TIPRA Motha, all such claims are baseless"

Meanwhile, India Today NE tried to reach out to Mevar Kumar Jamatia, and D C Hrangkhawl however they have not responded.

This news comes a day after when various top political leaders including former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb who at present is a Member of Parliament and BJP central in-charge of Haryana, former Minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, and former MP and CPIM state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury found meeting TIPRA Motha Supremo Pradyot Kishore Deb Barma at his palace in state's Agartala.

Although the royal scion Pradyot viewed the meeting with the leaders as totally apolitical and was just meant for exchanges of greetings of Bijoy Dasami, however, psephologists have already started speculating that the meeting has political implications as all parties are trying to pull the TIPRA Motha on their side for the upcoming assembly election which is scheduled to take place in next five months.

It is believed that TIPRA Motha, which captured the TTAADC a little more than a year ago and is considered an eye opener for the ruling BJP-IPFT alliance and is been considered the kingmaker in Tripura this time.

It is to mention here that, since Pradyot Kishore Deb was elected to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) in May 2021, both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have been aware of his activities.

In the 28-member council, Pradyot's TIPRA Motha party trounced the BJP in the majority of seats, cutting its supporter in the government, the tribal-based IPFT to null.

With TIPRA's expansion, the majority of tribal voters from IPFT, BJP, CPI-M, and Congress switched to TIPRA Motha. 

Over the course of the last 1.5 years, TIPRA Motha has become the dominant force in the hills, representing 20 tribal reserved seats and 2 other scheduled caste and general categories assembly constituencies where tribal voters make up the majority of the electorate.

On the other hand, Pradyot has been also been persuaded to create an alliance by the BJP and Congress.