Agartala: IPFT, BJP’s ally in Tripura government, is seemingly on the verge of a vertical split following a fight between the two top men of the party.
Former IPFT president and State Revenue Minister N C Debbarma on Thursday re-constituted a 55 -member state committee by anointing himself as the head and excluded ex-party chief and tribal welfare minister Mevar Kr Jamatia, who was so long spearheading the panel.
The committee was elected a month back.
The internal squabble has been continuing for the last few years but it took a turn for the worst on Wednesday when Debbarma announced the committee headed by Jamatia as ‘illegal’.
He claimed that the committee headed by Jamatia was not formed as per party regulation. Therefore, the functioning of the party under the committee is “illegal” and whatever decisions and activities have been done over the one month period have no validity.
Debbarma had convened a meeting of the party functionaries including Jamatia on Thursday as the “President of IPFT” to discuss the organisational matters, which sparked reaction among the leaders.
Condemning Debbarma’s statement, Jamatia said that in the proper process of election a new state committee was formed headed by him on April 3.
“We both had contested the president’s post after holding a two-day state conference, but Debbarma lost by 65 votes. However, he was unanimously elected as Chairman of IPFT’s advisory committee. Now, his move is dubious, intending to break the party when we require a united effort for revival,” Jamatia alleged.
However, Debbarma claimed, “Due to certain inconsistencies in the election process we declare the new state committee as invalid. This is why we convened a meeting of the members of central committees on May 12”.
Despite being the leading partner of the coalition government, the BJP has continued to poach on the IPFT’s base in the hills. The same is being done by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman’s TIPRA Motha. The faction-ridden IPFT has faced massive erosion and almost everyday their supporters are joining either BJP or Motha.
