New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah met Tipra Motha delegation led by party supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma at a guest house in Agartala on Wednesday amid speculations on a possible alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to reports, the meeting was held to discuss the demand for a “constitutional solution” to the issues of the indigenous people of Tripura.
The meeting comes after the Tipra Motha seems to have scaled down on its demand on a separate Greater Tipraland and it wants more administrative powers and direct funding to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
The meeting, which is still underway, is also being attended by BJP president JP Nadda and Tripura’s newly sworn in chief minister Manik Saha.
Pradyot Debbarma, a descendant of the former ruling family of Tripura, had been seeking a “constitutional solution” to demands by his party for a separate state of Tiprasa for a long time. His party won 13 seats in the recently concluded elections to the 60-member Tripura state assembly.
Debbarma is believed to be leading a six-member delegation to the talks with the Union Home Minister.
While the BJP has made it clear that it is unwilling to concede a division of the tiny state of Tripura, the party leadership has spoken of a willingness to give more legislative, financial and executive powers to the Tripura Tribal autonomous council that exists and runs affairs in areas dominated by the tribal communities.
It is to be noted that Debbarma skipped the ceremony this morning in which Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and eight of his cabinet colleagues were sworn in. He wished CM Saha best in a Twitter post, writing, "May the state prosper and one under the blessings of Ma Tripura Sundari . As a 2nd largest party in the state we will always work for the interest of the people of the state."