AGARTALA, FEB 2    :    Failing the first-round talk of the ruling BJP in Tripura for allying with opposition TIPRA Motha in Delhi early this week, a second-round discussion between the leaders of both parties is likely to be held on February 4 in New Delhi, BJP sources said here on Friday.

According to the report, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, his Assam counterpart and NEDA chief Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the central government’s interlocutor, A K Mishra, discussed the alliance issue with a group of TIPRA Motha leaders, but it was inconclusive.
TIPRA Motha has reportedly demanded to contest from an East Tripura tribal reserved seat in the upcoming Loksabha election and at least two ministerial berths, including the Deputy Chief Minister portfolio, but the BJP didn’t agree to the proposal in the first meeting. Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and the leader of the opposition, Animesh Debbarma, are likely to join the second round of talks on Sunday.

However, the tribal front of the BJP, Janjati Morcha, has been opposing the move of bringing TIPRA Motha into the ruling BJP-IPFT alliance with the view that it would not help the BJP in the Loksabha election because neither BJP nor TIPRA Motha grassroots-level supporters would accept the alliance, and the chance of voter transfer is very thin.

“TIPRA Motha leaders, including Pradyot Kishore, abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP party leaders on several occasions, and Motha has been persuading politics along communal lines; the association of Motha will affect the non-tribal vote bank of the BJP. We shared our understanding and views about Motha with the BJP’s top level, and now they will decide the course of action,” said a senior functionary of Janjati Morcha here.

Meanwhile, Motha sources said the BJP leadership had sought the support of Motha in the upcoming Loksabha elections. The latter party indicated its keenness to contest the East Tripura Loksabha seat, which the BJP is determined not to concede.

The BJP leaders instead offered an agreement for further empowerment of ADC, but the demand for direct funding to ADC was not accepted, citing the fact that it required major amendments to the constitution. Also offered a special financial package of Rs 1400 crore for the development of Tripura ADC, sources added.

A senior Motha leader and MLA said that the party has not yet united to go for an alliance with the BJP, fearing that it may strike at the root of Motha’s support base with a corresponding political advantage to rival CPM in tribally dominated areas, and Motha will finish in a short span.(UNI)