The upcoming assembly elections in the Indian state of Tripura in 2023 are shaping up to be an interesting political battleground, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that it will not be entering into a tie-up with the regional party in Tripura, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). This decision was reportedly made by BJP president Amit Shah, who shot down the IPFT’s demand for a separate state of Greater Tipraland.
The IPFT, which is a tribal-based party, has been pushing for the creation of Greater Tipraland for several years now. The proposed state would encompass the tribal-dominated areas of Tripura and would be separate from the rest of the state. The party has been demanding this as a means of protecting the rights and interests of the tribal population in the state, who they feel have been marginalized by the majority non-tribal population.
However, the BJP has rejected this demand, with Shah reportedly stating that the party will not support any move that would lead to the fragmentation of the state. The BJP has been in power in Tripura since 2018, when it defeated the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a surprise victory. The party has been focusing on development and infrastructure projects in the state, and it appears that it does not want to risk alienating the non-tribal population by supporting the IPFT’s demand for a separate state.
The BJP’s decision is likely to have an impact on the upcoming assembly elections, as the IPFT has a significant base of support among the tribal population in Tripura. The party had formed an alliance with the BJP in the 2018 assembly elections, but it is unclear if the two parties will be able to form an alliance again in 2023. The IPFT has stated that it will contest the elections on its own, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the BJP’s chances of winning the polls.
It is also worth noting that the demand for a separate state of Greater Tipraland has been met with opposition from other political parties and civil society groups in the state. Some have argued that the creation of a separate state would lead to further division and tension between the tribal and non-tribal populations in Tripura.
In conclusion, the upcoming assembly elections in Tripura in 2023 are shaping up to be an interesting political battle, as the ruling BJP has announced that it will not be entering into a tie-up with the regional party in Tripura, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). The IPFT’s demand for a separate state of Greater Tipraland, which has been rejected by the BJP, is likely to have an impact on the upcoming assembly elections. It remains to be seen how this decision will affect the BJP’s chances of winning the polls.