Tripura: The tribal party TIPRA Motha started its campaign ahead of assembly elections in Tripura. According to chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, over 1,200 people from Bengali, Tripuri, and Muslim communities have joined its campaign in tribal-dominated areas.
On November 7, around 1,200 voters from 556 families joined TIPRA Motha at the Kakraban assembly constituency in the Udaipur sub-division under the Gomati district.
Debbarma said he wants to provide something to the Tiprasa people who have sacrificed so much deserve a lot. Almost 70% of the state is under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). However, the community only gets 10% of the budget. The royal scion of the state called out the government for depriving the tribal community of welfare programmes.
"Tiprasa people only get kuccha houses (mud houses) but the state government provides pucca houses (concrete houses) and declares Smart City in Agartala," he added.
He claimed that the TTAADC is supposed to get Rs 9,000 crores but the state government is only providing them with Rs 600 crore. Debbarma further pointed out that 35% of the population is living in the TTAADC area and the money allotted for them in the budget is "unjustified."
"I am fighting for your development and for your rights. I don't want anything. I just need the right for my people. This fight is not for position or to become a minister or leader, asserted the party chief.
Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA or Tipra Motha) is a regional political party initially started as a social organisation by Debbarma. It was founded in 2019 and became a political party in 2021. A few months later, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), Tipraland State Party (TSP), and IPFT (Tipraha) merged with the TIPRA.
The party enjoyed success in its electoral debut by winning a majority in the 28-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council elections. TIPRA won 16 seats and its ally INTP won 2 seats. It ended the Left Front's 15-year rule. TIPRA is the only regional party to come to power in the council without allying with a national party.