Pradyot Debbarma slams ex-Tripura CM for failing to work as leader of opposition, TIPRA to contest Lok Sabha poll

Chairman of TIPRA Motha Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Tuesday strongly criticized former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar for his failure to fulfil his responsibilities as the leader of the opposition over the past five years.

Pradyot, who is also the royal scion of Tripura, indicated that his party would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election. 

Taking to Facebook, he urged Manik Sarkar, the former Chief Minister and CPIM Politburo member, to remain silent, as he had failed miserably in his role as the leader of the opposition during the last five years.

"We will be contesting the bye-election in the Dhanpur Assembly Constituency. I want to advise Manik Sarkar to refrain from speaking, as he has been ineffective in his duties as the leader of the opposition. We are strategizing how to secure a victory in the Dhanpur assembly. I have come to understand that where there is no chance of Tipra Motha winning, we should not field our candidate, and similarly, you should understand that where the chances of CPIM winning are low, no candidate should be put forward. It should be a fair 1:1 contest. The Lok Sabha elections are approaching, and the opposition should not fight amongst themselves as it will yield no benefits. We now have a chance in Dhanpur and the Lok Sabha elections. In the Lok Sabha, we will send someone who will make waves in the parliament. Nobody has listened to us, and now the time has come for us to raise our voices. I will not stay silent," stated Pradyot.

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He further claimed that the central government deliberately cancelled the visit of the interlocutor to Tripura in order to tarnish his reputation and create a rift between the tribal community and himself.

"A certain group of politicians and media outlets want to suppress Pradyot Manikya Debbarma in order to weaken us. As long as our thansa (unity) remains strong, they cannot harm us. During the election, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma came and assured us that the Government of India wants to grant us maximum autonomy. 

However, it has been three months, and nobody knows what this entails. Home Minister Amit Shah has also stated that the government has appointed an interlocutor. Even the Assam CM conveyed this message not only to me but to the entire TIPRA Motha MLA team. A notification was published announcing the interlocutor's visit, but it was abruptly cancelled, citing various issues. Now, I am beginning to suspect that all these actions are intended to tarnish my name and create a divide between me and my people," expressed Pradyot.