Tripura: Tipra Motha unhappy with centre over Tipraland talks, declares hands-off approach

In a significant development, four days ahead of the by-election, Tripura's opposition leader, Animesh Debbarma on September 1 said the party will refrain from instructing their supporters on whom to cast their votes, leaving the decision entirely in the hands of the electorate.

Addressing a press conference, this evening, Animesh who is also MLA of Tipra Motha, said, “We have decided to adopt a hands-off approach and allow voters complete freedom in choosing their preferred candidates. We will not tell out voters whom to vote for; it's up to them to decide”.

He said that initially, TIPRA Motha had opted not to participate in these by-elections, citing a primary focus on seeking a "constitutional solution" to address the concerns of the tribal population in the state, rather than engaging in electoral competition.

In response to claims of opposition unity made by the CPIM, the Leader of the Opposition revealed that while there were discussions among opposition parties, the CPIM unilaterally announced its candidates without engaging in consultations with other parties, including TIPRA Motha and the Congress.

Debbarma emphasized that recent activities undertaken by their party in Dhanpur and Boxanagar were unrelated to the by-elections and instead focused on strengthening their party's organization.

Debbarma claimed that their recent activities in Dhanpur and Boxanagar were not related to the elections but focused on organizing their party.

The President of TIPRA Motha, BK Hrangkhwal, has clarified that the party has no political affiliations or alliances with other parties participating in the elections. Consequently, they have pledged not to interfere with the voting choices of their supporters, respecting their autonomy.

Regarding meetings between TIPRA Motha and the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, Hrangkhwal expressed disappointment at the lack of a positive response from the government regarding their demands for a constitutional solution. 

He noted that a different course of action might have been considered if the government had been more receptive.
 

Also read: Tripura by-poll: Former Deputy CM terms CPIM as 'Complain Party of India', says BJP’s victory is just a matter of time