Agartala: Hours after Tripura Peoples’ Front (TPF) Chief Patal Kanya Jamatia joined the BJP, the Tipra Motha of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman ruled out any possibility of an understanding or alliance with BJP in next year’s assembly poll. Pradyot, whose Tipra Motha runs the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC), reacted sharply to the remarks of Patal Kanya Jamatia and other BJP leaders in the joining rally on Sunday that ‘some small parties’ are misguiding the tribals and jeopardising development work by peddling the unrealistic dream of Greater Tipraland, and said, “Yes, we are small but not corrupt.” “We accept the challenge of BJP and we would fight the upcoming assembly election alone and the question of an alliance at least with BJP doesn’t arise anymore,” Pradyot said in a video message adding that there would be no compromise with the demand of Greater Tipraland. He said “the new BJP leader” has made a statement that Tipra Motha is small and would not be able to survive for long and the constitutional demand for Greater Tipraland would never happen. “So, I guess this is the official position of BJP. They have a much bigger and stronger organisation and of course they are the richest party in the country. We are a small regional party. If BJP is such a big party in Tripura, I think, they should prepare to fight in all 60 assembly constituencies; we will fight in 30-35 seats ourselves. Tipra Motha will answer them on the ground,” Pradyot stated. While addressing the joining rally, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Pratima Bhoumik called upon the people to strengthen BJP for the development of Tripura and indigenous communities. They said, “For development, we don’t need Greater Tipraland, need greater unity between tribes and non-tribes. Only BJP can do the ‘real development’ of indigenous people…..some leaders are there who are trying to misguide and mislead people in the name of Greater Tipraland.” Meanwhile, after Patal Kanya’s statement opposing Tipraland, BJP’s alliance partner IPFT has also given a strong rejoined. “Now it’s proved she (Patala) played with the sentiment of indigenous people of the state for her personal gain. She was the one who first abused Biplab Deb as an ‘illegal migrant’ and ‘Bangladeshi intruder’ demanding his resignation. She is still fighting in Supreme Court for NRC in Tripura and opposed CAA. The indigenous people would not pardon her,” the party said in a statement.
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