The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of ruling BJP in Tripura, received a shock when one of its top leaders Budhirai Debbarma joined Congress on Sunday. Around 150 IPFT workers also joined the party, Congress tribal front leader Rajeshwar Debbarma claimed.
Acting PCC president Pijush Biswas handed over the Congress flag to Mr. Debbarma, who was the Chairman of the Central Advisory Committee of the IPFT, at the Congress Bhavan. After joining, Mr. Debbarma claimed the IPFT has lost credibility among the indigenous community.
“It has fooled people with separate tribal state [Tipraland] plank. It has lost the trust of the indigenous people,” he opined.
He envisaged a big win for the Congress in the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) likely to be held in February.
Congress leader Rajeshwar Debbarma said a large number of IPFT leaders and workers would soon desert it to join his party.
The IPFT has announced an indefinite stir to demand withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and implementation of the NRC in Tripura. Party leader Shuklacharan Noatia said they would hold protests at Khumulwng, headquarters of the TTAADC.
The agitation programme was seen as a ploy to pacify a section of leaders who felt the IPFT had failed to raise a strong voice on the contentious CAA.
