Tripura tribal parties court BJP, with riders

AGARTALA: The uncertainty over an alliance between tribal parties and BJP in the state continues, with the

All Tripura Indigenous Regional Party Forum

(

ATIRPF

) setting a December 20 deadline for the tie-up and the BJP not budging on the statehood demand.

The ATIRPF - a common platform of tribal-based Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and the National Conference of Tripura (NCT) - said it is ready to go it alone in the election if the BJP does not respond by the deadline.

"We are ready to contest the election with BJP as allies. If we don't get a response, we will have to look for other options," ATIRF convener and NCT chief Animesh Debbarma said. It has already come up with its list of candidates for the 20 ST-reserved seats it will contest.

For the ATIRF, an alliance with BJP or any other party would be dependent on a common minimum programme, which needs to focus on empowerment of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and direct funding for the autonomous district council.

President of the state unit of BJP Biplab Kumar Deb, however, was firm on his party's priorities. "Separate state for tribals is not acceptable for BJP in any form. It cannot be an issue of electoral understanding with any pary," Deb said. Instead, the party would upgrade the autonomous district council to a state council, he added.

The final decision, the BJP state president said, will be taken by the central leadership.

"At present, central committee leaders are busy with the Gujarat polls. After December 18, they will visit Tripura and there will be more clarity on the possibility of an alliance with tribal parties. But BJP appreciates the forum's firm stand and other parties against the Left Front," he added.

The ATIRPF had initiated alliance talks with the

Indigenous People's Front of Tripura

(IPFT) as well, but its leader NC Debbarma did not respond as expected, Animesh said. IPFT has announced it will contest in 56 seats out of a total of 60.