Tripura tribal party remains committed to ‘Greater Tipraland’ as two party MLAs join BJP-led ministry

In Agartala, newly-appointed Tripura minister Animesh Debbarma reiterated TMP’s demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’ under the Constitution. After joining the BJP-led government, he emphasized the need for constitutional solutions to tribal issues, vowing to continue the demand for greater autonomy. The TMP had won 13 seats in the last year’s Assembly polls.

Animesh Debbarma, a computer science engineer turned politician, stressed the importance of addressing political, economic, and cultural challenges faced by tribals in Tripura. Before taking the oath as a minister, he resigned as the opposition leader, highlighting the shift in responsibilities from criticizing to governing.

TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman cautioned newly appointed BJP ministers against neglecting their core demands, citing the example of IPFT’s silence on tribal issues after joining the government. The IPFT’s lone MLA is now a Cabinet minister in the BJP alliance, which previously had two ministers from IPFT demanding the upgrade of TTAADC to a separate state.

The ruling BJP, CPI-M, and Congress have opposed the demands of both the IPFT and TMP, indicating a complex political landscape in Tripura. Animesh Debbarma’s entry into the Cabinet marks a new phase for TMP in pursuing ‘Greater Tipraland,’ seeking to address the long-standing aspirations of the tribal population in the state.