Tripura BJP leader attacks ‘One North East’ push, says Pradyot trying to stay politically relevant

A senior BJP figure has accused Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman of using the newly launched “One North East” campaign to regain political relevance, arguing that the initiative risks misleading voters at a time when Tripura is experiencing “relative peace and stability.”

Former MP Rebati Tripura told reporters that the campaign, backed by what he described as leaders from “failed regional parties,” reflects what he called an “existential crisis” within Pradyot’s political strategy. He alleged that recent speeches at a Tipra Motha event under the One North East banner at Stable Ground featured “provocative and contradictory statements.”

Rebati argued that Pradyot’s confidence to make such remarks has grown under the current political climate, but warned that reviving old fault lines would be detrimental. “He once championed Tipraland and Greater Tipraland. Now, those demands have vanished from his dictionary,” he said, calling the new campaign “another distraction.”

The BJP leader criticised what he views as frequent shifts in Pradyot’s political positions. “When he was in Congress, he said one thing; now he says another. After a decade, he will again call it a mistake,” Rebati remarked.

He further targeted the functioning of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, alleging financial mismanagement and a lack of adherence to constitutional norms. “There is no financial discipline in the TTAADC. Everything is on paper in the name of development,” he said, pressing for a full financial audit.

On demands for a separate state or special constitutional provisions for tribal areas, Rebati maintained that such proposals are not feasible for a geographically small state like Tripura.