NDA meeting may signal turning point in Tripura politics

CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA: The Jhalmuri session held on the sidelines of the NDA meeting in Delhi on Wednesday and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi may prove to be a turning point in Tripura politics, as leaders of the BJP's two alliance partners were seen enjoying the delicacy together. Despite being allies of the BJP in the state government, the two regional parties - TIPRA Motha and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) - contested the recent Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections separately.

There had been speculation that differences between the BJP and its alliance partners would widen, but the participation of TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Bikram Kishor Debbarman and IPFT leader Sukla Charan Noatia in the NDA sessions conveyed a different message. The development assumes special significance as the state is set to hold Village Committee elections soon. No official statement was available regarding the development, but sources in political circles said the latest developments have given rise to several indications.

The process of reducing differences began on June 5 when Pradyot Bikram Kishor Debbarman was invited to attend the Bhumi Pujan programme in Agartala, which was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha. The indications became clearer on Tuesday when reports from Delhi suggested that TIPRA Motha leaders, including Pradyot Bikram Kishor Debbarman and MLA Ranjit Debbarma, were camping in the national capital and holding discussions with officials of the Home Ministry. While no reaction was available from TIPRA Motha, sources confirmed that discussions were underway.

It is learnt that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken the initiative to bring all the alliance partners onto a common platform, and Wednesday's developments are believed to be the outcome of those efforts.

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