Agartala: Tribal-based Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) on Wednesday snapped its three-decades old alliance with Congress.
INPT President Bijoy Hrangkhwal said the party will keep a safe distance from all national parties for the time being and fight alone in upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) election slated for early next year.
“We have discussed the issue in our Central Committee meeting held on July 28-29 and decided to launch massive programme at community level for strengthening the party base in hilly areas and go ahead with individual entity,” Mr Hrangkhwal said.
He however, pointed out that “alliance with Congress in past one and a half-decades did not yield any positive result for INPT, rather weakened their own programme.”
Despite having serious discontent among the tribals on left front government in Tripura for past 21 years, opposition could not even manage to secure their victory in all 20 tribal dominated assembly constituencies in the 60-member House because of leadership crisis and lack of commitment to public sufferings, he maintained.
“INPT has acceptability among the tribals and even the leftists because the party, since beginning, has been fighting for establishment of rights and talks about the sufferings of the tribal community,” Mr Hrangkhwal said, adding that since the party did not fight alone, people voted for CPI-M.
In 1983, immediately after creation of Tripur Tribalareas Autonomus District Council (TTAADC) under 6th schedule of the constitution, the then Tripura Upajati Yuba Samity (TUJS) joined as alliance partner of Congress and in 1988 Congress-TUJS combine came into power.
The TUJS suffered a jolt in 90’s when Left Front came in power and the party changed both name and leaders that gave birth to Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT). Later, IPFT turned into INPT. But a few years ago, a dissident faction came out from INPT and revived IPFT again.
Mr Hrangkhwal however, indicated that they have been exploring the future to go for alliance with BJP but final decision will be taken after a detailed discussion at grassroots level ahead of ADC election. (UNI)
