Tipra Motha chief meets Amit Shah in Delhi ahead of Tripura bypolls

Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday in New Delhi ahead of the September 5 bypolls to two Tripura assembly segments, a senior BJP leader said.

The meeting assumes significance as the CPI(M) had recently held discussions with the regional party and sought its support for the upcoming assembly bypolls to Dhanpur and Boxanagar seats in Sepahijala district.

"Shri @PradyotManikyaJi had a fruitful meeting with Hon’ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji in Delhi today. They discussed regarding the ongoing talks and the rights and welfare of the indigenous people. It has been the vision of the prime minister to secure the rights and empower the tribals of Tripura and the rest of the country," BJP's national spokesperson and northeast coordinator Sambit Patra said on X, formerly Twitter.

Debbarma, who stepped down as the Tipra Motha chairman recently, thanked the BJP leader.

“This is indeed very encouraging. I am sure that under the leadership of Hon'ble Home Minister Amit Shah, a lasting solution of the problems faced by the indigenous communities of Tripura will be found,' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a reply to a post on the microblogging site.

Earlier in the day, the Tipra Motha supremo had indicated that his party was 'unlikely' to support the CPI(M)' which has fielded candidates in the by-elections.

On a social media post, Debbarma said, "For the Tiprasa people what should be the priority is securing our rights and not running after parties which have denied us these fundamental rights."

"People may call us left wing or right wing but my view is that we should engage with those who assure us and give us our constitutional rights," he added.

The BJP is set to take on the CPI(M) as the Tipra Motha and the Congress have decided not to contest the by-elections.

The bypoll to the Boxanagar constituency was necessitated due to the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque.

Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik’s resignation as the MLA of Dhanpur necessitated the by-election to that seat.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front has fielded Kaushik Chanda and Mijan Husain as its nominees for the Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies respectively.

The BJP nominated Taffajal Hussain for the Boxanagar assembly seat and Bindu Debnath for the Dhanpur segment.