Is TMP Planning to Withdraw Support from BJP-Led Tripura Government?

Agartala, July 5 (NationPress) The Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the ruling BJP, has issued a warning regarding its support for the state government, citing the administration's failure to adhere to the tripartite agreement and address illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

Senior TMP figure and MLA Ranjit Debbarma noted that party representatives plan to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss their unresolved issues.

Debbarma informed the press, “Should our discussions with the Union Home Minister not yield satisfactory results, the TMP will have no choice but to withdraw our support from the BJP-led government in Tripura.”

However, the TMP's withdrawal is not expected to destabilize the BJP-led administration, as the BJP holds a commanding majority with 33 MLAs.

BJP officials have refrained from commenting on the TMP's statements at this time.

In the 60-member Assembly, the BJP commands a majority with 33 MLAs, while its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), contributes one MLA.

Following extensive negotiations and the signing of a tripartite agreement with the central government and the Tripura administration on March 2 last year, the TMP, previously in opposition with 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led coalition on March 7, marking a significant shift in Tripura's political landscape.

On March 7 of the prior year (2024), two TMP MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, were incorporated into the cabinet led by Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Debbarma criticized the BJP government for not fulfilling the commitments of the tripartite agreement, which has been over 15 months since its signing in Delhi with the Union Home Minister present.

The TMP's demands include increased autonomy for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and improvements in the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities.

Initially, the TMP sought the establishment of a ‘Greater Tipraland,’ advocating for a separate state for tribal people as per Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. This demand has faced opposition from the ruling BJP, the CPI-M, and the Congress.

Under the leadership of former royal heir Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, the TMP participated separately in the 2023 Assembly elections but later became part of the state government coalition with BJP and IPFT in March last year. Both TMP and IPFT are parties focused on tribal issues.

Currently, the CPI (M) holds 10 MLAs in the state assembly, while the Congress has three. A seat-sharing arrangement for the elections was established between the CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress.

In April 2021, the TMP emerged as a significant political force after winning control of the politically crucial TTAADC, which governs two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area and is home to over 1.2 million residents, around 84 percent of whom are tribal.

With tribals making up one-third of Tripura's population of four million, they hold a vital influence in the state's electoral politics.