Agartala: Bickerings in ruling BJP’s alliance partner Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) have worsened after Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kr Jamatia – a member in the previous cabinet – was excluded in the newly constituted council of ministers led by Dr Manik Saha.
Mevar is all set to be expelled from the party for his alleged anti-party role.
Five days ago, veteran IPFT leader and Revenue Minister of previous government N C Debbarma had announced himself as the president of IPFT terming the committee headed by Mevar ‘illegal’, which was formed in the party’s state conference on April 3 last. The fight between N C and Mevar has been continuing for long over its existence in the government led by BJP.
They have been accusing each other of claiming the validity of their respective committee and Mevar had threatened to move court against N C’s committee. A day after the development, in a sudden move, Biplab Kumar Deb resigned from the post of Chief Minister and the cabinet was dissolved. Both Debbarma and Jamatia were the ministers in the Biplab Deb’s government.
Since N C Debbarma has been in favour of remaining in BJP’s alliance and openly criticised the royal scion and TIPRA Motha Chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and accused Mevar of maintaining clandestine relation with Pradyot supporting his Greater Tipraland movement, all six out of eight IPFT MLAs aspiring the ministerial berth have switched over their allegiance to N C Debbarma.
Mevar left alone in his camp, as another MLA Brishaketu Debbarma had earlier openly joined TIPRA Motha and IPFT had expelled him. Taking the support of six MLAs and a dozen of IPFT leaders 88 –yrs old N C Debbarma managed a berth in Saha’s cabinet and replaced Mevar with Prem Kumar Reang, a BJP sympathizer elected from Kanchanpur.
Debbarma has made it clear that they would not merge with any party but fight next assembly elections with the support of BJP in more seats to defeat others.
He accused Mevar of making an attempt to merge the 25 years old party with a year old TIPRA Motha for his narrow political interest and short-term gain with sentimental politics.
Debbarma also slammed Mevar Kumar Jamatia for allegedly violating the party’s discipline and said, “We shall take stringent disciplinary action against those who are trying to break the party.
Majority of the party MLAs are with me, lion’s share of the party leaders has supported me as their leader through a State-level conference attended by over 400 delegates, so there should not be any doubt about the status of the party’s present leadership.”
He added, “Change in the leadership is an internal matter of BJP, but the IPFT extends it’s full support and cooperation to the new Chief Minister and we expect BJP will fulfill all the alliance commitment at the quickest possible time for further development of indigenous people of the
state.”
