Non-BJP govt didn’t form in Tripura due party’s stubbornness: CPM’s dig at TIPRA

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) on Thursday said that Tripura could not get a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the February assembly polls due to an “authoritarian regime for the secret understanding of a political party and its stubbornness”.

In an indirect reference to Tripura’s main opposition party, the TIPRA Motha, CPM state general secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said that people voted against the ruling party in the assembly polls, but unfortunately, an alternative government could not be formed due to the stubbornness of a political party.

Chaudhury was addressing an ‘Assembly Abhiyan’ programme organised by the CPM in support of the party’s 15-point charter of demands related to agriculture, food, work, development of tribals etc.

“People did not like the activities of the government and felt that it should be replaced. They even voted against the ruling (BJP) party in the last assembly polls, but unfortunately, the state could not get the alternative government due to a political party’s ‘secret understanding and stubbornness’,” said Chaudhury.

Thousands of activists from All India Kisan Sabha, Tripura Ganamukti Parishad, CPM’s tribal wing and Tripura Khet Mazdoor Union began their procession from Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan and the hit streets in Agartala, but were stopped by the police near Circuit House, less than one kilometre from the state assembly.

Chaudhury further alleged that the situation in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is pathetic in different sectors, and taking advantage of the situation, a section of the tribal population has been influenced to raise demand for Tipraland and Greater Tipraland.

“Schools are closed with no teachers in the TTAADC. A village council poll is not being held. People are frustrated. Taking advantage of their condition, a section of people were being influenced to raise the demand of Saadhan Tripura, Tipraland and Greater Tipraland,” he told.

Greater Tipraland is the core demand of the TIPRA Motha party floated by party president and Royal Scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma.

Meanwhile, Chaudhury also spoke about budget presented last week and slammed the state government for not allocating enough funds for the agriculture sector in this year’s budget.

“India is an agrarian country. Before independence, 70% of people were fed from agriculture. Even after the invention of rockets, 70% of food still comes from agriculture. We want the existence of science and technology, but it could not become an alternative to agriculture.

“Proper allocation for agriculture funds should be included in the budget, which did not happen,” he said.

The BJP-led government in Tripura last week tabled the state budget for 2023-24 with an outlay of Rs.27,654.40 crore. An amount of Rs.973 crore for agriculture was allocated in the latest budget.