Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday met Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma in Agartala amid speculations that the tribal party, which had made an impressive show in the assembly elections, is likely to join hands with the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections.
BJP president J.P. Nadda, Tripura's newly sworn in chief minister Manik Saha and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present at the meeting.
Soon after the meeting, Debbarma took to Twitter to clarify that issues such as alliance and cabinet were not discussed. He said the home minister has started the process for a constitutional solution for the indigenous people of Tripura and an interlocutor for this process would be appointed within a specified time frame.
“I thank the home minister for understanding the genuine problems of the son of the soil. We successfully got our Bru people rehabilitation in our state after 23 years by signing the Bru accord and today we have started a huge dialogue to ensure that our survival and existence are protected. Issues such as alliance and cabinet were never discussed only the interest of our dopha was discussed,” Debbarma said.
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The saffron party had earlier approached Tipra Motha for an alliance but a consensus could not be reached after the state party remained firm on its demand for a separate Tipraland.
The BJP has made it clear that it is unwilling to concede a division of the tiny state of Tripura. Its leadership, however, has spoken of a willingness to give more legislative, financial and executive powers to the Tripura Tribal autonomous council which exists and runs affairs in areas dominated by tribal communities.
The BJP bagged 32 seats in the 60-member assembly while its current alliance partner IPFT could win only one seat. Tipra Motha, formed just two years back by Debbarma, a scion of the state's former princely family, made significant inroads into the vote share and bagged 13 of the 42 seats it contested.
On Sunday, the Debbarma had said that it was ready to sit with the BJP for a "face-to-face meeting" to find a "constitutional solution" to Tiprasa people's problems.
"If we are respectfully invited for talks on constitutional rights - economic, political, language -- we will participate. We are sons of the soil... We are ready for talks to find a constitutional solution to the problems of indigenous people. And, the talks cannot be about ministerial posts or individual benefits," he had said in a video message.
He had also warned that any party that seeks to rule Tripura by ignoring its indigenous people will find it difficult to run the state smoothly in the future.
