Tripura: BJP likely to offer less seats to ally IPFT in 2023 assembly poll

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shall continue its ally with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) in Tripura but is likely to be offered minimum number of sets in the coming 2023 assembly election as it performed very poorly in the last tribal council election, hinted the saffron party’s chief spokesman Subrata Chakraborty here speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the two days ‘Chintan Baithak’ on September 24 afternoon.

In the two days marathon meeting BJP’s central leadership including its all India general secretary (organization) BL Santosh, central incharge Dr Mahesh Sharma, coordinator North East Dr Sambit Patra, state general secretary (organization) Phanindranath Sharma beside all top local leaders right from Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, union Minister Pratima Bhowmik, Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma, two MPs, several Ministers and office bearers were present to reviewed the latest position of the party, opposition and accordingly set strategy so that BJP can contest the 2023 assembly election alone and shall win all 60 seats informed Chakraborty in presence of Kishore Barman, BJP Tripura state general secretary.

When reporters raised that by ‘contesting election alone’ does it mean that the saffron party is leaving it alliance partner IPFT in the coming assembly elections, Chakraborty said that BJP as a bigger partner never leave its partners hand but hinted at that since IPFT’s lost its organisational strength at the ground level and which can be understood from its poor performance in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) poll which the ruling party lost to the TIPRA Motha so BJP which has strengthen its organizations at the booth level shall help the alliance to win the election so that the target of winning 60 out of the total 60 seats in the coming assembly election can be achieved.

In the tribal council election IPFT performed very poor failing to win a single out of the 20 seats that the party contest while BJP had won nine out of 11 seats that it contested and became the Opposition in the TTAADC.

"BJP hasn't left any partner anywhere in the county. As a larger partner, its our responsibility to keep our partners with us. We hope they will stay with us", he said.

The BJP chief spokesman informed that a series of meetings right from office bearers to social media to Minister, tribal wing, SC, OBC were held during these two days at Palm Resort. 
He claimed that the BJP central leadership is giving special attention to Tripura and it was also seen prior to 2018 election.

Chakraborty said, “The central leadership right from BL Santosh, JP Nadda to PM Modi all are very serious with Tripura and providing all types of help including financial for this state and the he main aim is to reach upto the booth level so that BJP can return to power with 60 out of 60 assembly seats in Tripura in the 2023 assembly election.”

There were also reviews on how much of the expectation of the people of the state and  who had voted for formation of this government in 2018 have been fulfilled beside what works are left and how fast these can happen said the BJP chief spokesman.

He added that the activities of the opposition parties and their present position was reviewed and discussed so that accordingly strategic can be setup to defeat them and BJP come to power again with more seats.

On the recent departures of MLA Burbu Mohan Tripura from BJP, the fourth legislator in last 4.5 years period who had resigned from the saffron party, the BJP chief spokesperson said that it would not affect on the performance of the party as it depends on it organisation and public support unlike others who are dependent on individuals.