IPFT Tipraha faction joins BJP

The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) Tipraha faction today joined the BJP here ahead of the Tripura Assembly election on February 18.
IPFT Tipraha faction leader Rajeshwar Debbarma said his faction has agreed to join BJP to ensure further empowerment of Tripura Tribal Aras Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and to dislodge the Left Front government in the state.
The IPFT Tipraha leader received flags from Himanta Biswa Sarma, chairman of North East Democratic Allaince (NEDA) and election in-charge of Tripura and party in-charge, Sunil Deodhar
The Tipraha group is a breakaway faction of IPFT. The BJP has already forged an alliance with the main IPFT group as per which the saffron party would contest 51 seats while the IPFT would fight in nine seats in the Assembly election.

Sarma told a press conference here that implementation of the awards of 7th Central Pay Commission for Tripura government employees, raising the minimum wage from Rs 180 to Rs 300 and overall development of Tripura are the salient points which will figure in the BJP poll manifesto for Tripura Assembly election.
The manifesto would be unveiled by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 12, he said.

"Implementation of the 7th central pay commission for the 1.5 lakh employees of the state involves lot of funds. So, we thought the permission of the union Finance minister is required. No doubt we are running late in publishing the poll manifesto, but we want to publish a proper manifesto what we can implement", he said.

Sarma claimed that the BJP would win the Tripura Assembly election.
"Entire population of Tripura will be on one side and Left supporters on another in the elections", he said.
Asked about his meeting with Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, a member of the Tripura royal family on Monday and whether he was joining the BJP, Sarma said it was just meeting with an old friend, who clarified he was "anti-Left".
"We are satisfied with his stand and he would decide for himself", Sarma added.