Tipra Motha

New Delhi, Aug 27: In the run-up to the by-polls scheduled for September 5 in two Tripura assembly segments, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the leader of Tipra Motha, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

This meeting has garnered significant attention as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) had recently engaged in discussions with the regional party, seeking its support for the upcoming assembly by-polls in Dhanpur and Boxanagar seats in Sepahijala district.

Sambit Patra, BJP’s national spokesperson and northeast coordinator, shared insights about the meeting on Twitter. He stated, “Shri @PradyotManikyaJi had a fruitful meeting with Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji in Delhi today. They discussed regarding the ongoing talks and the rights and welfare of the indigenous people. It has been the vision of the prime minister to secure the rights and empower the tribals of Tripura and the rest of the country.”

The development comes after Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma recently stepped down as the Tipra Motha chairman. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praised the meeting and expressed confidence in finding lasting solutions to the problems faced by the indigenous communities of Tripura under Amit Shah’s leadership.

Earlier in the day, Debbarma had indicated that his party was “unlikely” to support the CPI(M), which has fielded candidates in the upcoming by-elections. He emphasized the need to secure the constitutional rights of the Tiprasa people, stating, “People may call us left wing or right wing but my view is that we should engage with those who assure us and give us our constitutional rights.”

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Notably, both the Tipra Motha and the Congress have decided not to contest the by-elections, leaving the field open for a direct contest between the BJP and the CPI(M). The Boxanagar constituency’s by-poll was necessitated by the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque, while the resignation of Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik as the MLA of Dhanpur led to the by-election for that seat.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front has fielded Kaushik Chanda and Mijan Husain as its candidates for the Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies, respectively. Meanwhile, the BJP nominated Taffajal Hussain for the Boxanagar assembly seat and Bindu Debnath for the Dhanpur segment. The by-polls hold political significance in Tripura and will be closely watched as they unfold.