A delegation from the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), a coalition partner of the ruling BJP in Tripura, met with senior BJP leaders in New Delhi to discuss key tribal issues. The delegation included Tripura’s Minister for Co-operative Department, Shukla Charan Noatia, IPFT vice president Pradip Krishna Debbarma, and Youth IPFT president Bikash Debbarma.
The team held meetings with Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia and also paid a courtesy visit to former BJP Tripura observer Sunil Deodhar, who played a pivotal role in forging the BJP-IPFT alliance ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.
According to party insiders, the visit was planned around Shukla Charan Noatia’s attendance at an all-India cooperative conference in Delhi. However, the opportunity was used to raise long-standing concerns of the tribal population directly with central BJP leadership.
Sources confirmed that IPFT had earlier submitted a charter of demands to Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu, who had assured that the matters would be forwarded to the state government. During the Delhi visit, the delegation reportedly discussed these demands with Minister Scindia, underlining their relevance to the state’s tribal communities.
The delegation also held discussions with key organizational leaders at the BJP’s central office before visiting Sunil Deodhar at his official residence. Deodhar, a well-known architect of the BJP’s rise in Tripura, had earlier been instrumental in aligning IPFT with the BJP, which led to a sweeping victory in the 2018 Assembly polls — particularly in tribal-dominated constituencies.
However, with the rise of Tipra Motha and the growing popularity of its leader Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, IPFT has seen its political influence wane, especially after a lackluster performance in the 2021 Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections.
A senior IPFT leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The emergence of Tipra Motha has fragmented the tribal vote. While there’s not much ideological difference between IPFT and Motha, apart from Pradyot’s aggressive posturing, we need to demonstrate real progress to tribal voters. That’s why this Delhi visit was important — to ensure our relevance in the run-up to the ADC elections.”
With less than a year remaining for the ADC polls, the IPFT is keen on regaining lost ground in tribal areas. While the BJP has recently shown signs of warming up to Tipra Motha for strategic reasons, sources suggest that the central leadership is still committed to maintaining its alliance with the IPFT.
“The IPFT has always respected the alliance and never created friction. We expect the BJP leadership to reciprocate,” the source added.
The meetings are seen as a renewed effort by IPFT to assert its political significance and address tribal aspirations ahead of another crucial election cycle.
