AGARTALA, April 17 - Division in the Indigenous People�s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has become official when the dissident faction led by Budhu Debbarma formed a separate committee and declared that they are the real IPFT.
The committee was formed in a workers conference held at Sahid Bhagat Singh Yuba Awash on Sunday. Rana Kishor Reang and Rajeswar Debbarma were elected as president and secretary of the committee.
Later, talking to reporters, Rajeswar Debbarma claimed that they are the real IPFT and the conference has approved the earlier decision of expelling the party president NC Debbarma and secretary Mebar Kumar Jamatia for anti-party activities.
He said the IPFT since its formation veered only around one issue � a separate State comprising the areas of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. But the conference has decided to give a new dimension to the party programme and to include different socio-economic issues like unemployment, opposition to the proposed amendment of the Indian Citizenship Act, etc.
On the alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections, newly-elected general secretary Rajeshwar Debbarma said the party would keep its core demand of Twipraland back for the sake of forming a grand alliance with any national party. �Although, Twipraland is our main demand but in the greater interest, the party can compromise with it for the time being�, he said.
�The party wants electoral understanding with anti-Left parties to oust the Left Front Government in the upcoming Assembly elections. We must opt for all options to avoid split in anti-Left vote bank�, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Mebar Kumar Jamatia said a meeting of the Members of the Central Committee (MCC) of IPFT, the highest policy making body of the party, in a meeting held on March 25 has expelled the protagonists of the said conference and they don�t have any right to use the name of IPFT. He said the MCC will meet again on April 19 where further steps will be taken apart from reviewing the present political situation in the State.
