TIPRA Motha and BJP seem to have been closing to forge ‘some sort of understanding’ for the ensuing assembly polls in the state as both the parties are going to hold in important meeting on the matter on Wednesday or Thursday. The meeting will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, TIPRA Motha chairman Pradyot Kishore Debbarman. Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and BJP state unit president Rajib Bhattacharjee and former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma are also likely to attend the meeting. They have already gone to Delhi to finalize their own candidate list.
TIPRA Motha appeared upbeat with the prospect of an understanding with the BJP as the party leaders informed about the ‘invitation’ by the ‘Home Ministry’.
Though the TIPRA Motha leaders sound adamant on the Greater Tipraland demand, it is highly unlikely that the Shah will agree to such an absurd demand for division of the state but he may very well concede to some sort of up- gradation of the present TTAADC. If Pradyot Kishore Debbarman sticks to his Greater Tipraland demand , the meeting will come a cropper.
Senior TIPRA leader and deputy chief executive member of TTAADC, Animesh Debbarma, before leaving for Delhi on Wednesday afternoon said, a meeting was held in the national capital on Tuesday night between Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and TIPRA chairman, in which the demand for ‘Greater Tipraland State’ was discussed.
Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, wrote in a Facebook post: “Contrary to rumours, there have been no talks on seat-sharing with any party! We have received intimation from the Ministry of Home Affairs that it would like to talk to us over our demand for a constitutional solution to the Greater Tipraland issue.
“We have repeatedly said that until we don’t get written assurance from the government of India on the constitutional solution to our demand, we will not go in for any alliance, leave alone seat-sharing. Please don’t jump the gun and relax – we know how to negotiate for our people to the maximum.”
The opposition parties CPI-M, Congress and Trinamool Congress have also been trying to woo the TIPRA Motha considering its presence in 20 ST reserved seats but the TIPRA Motha remained noncommittal and kept on pressing for a written assurance of ‘Greater Tipraland’- which did not come.
