IPFT will not raise demand for separate state: BJP leader

The BJP, which is in the process of finalising a pre-poll alliance with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), today said the anti-Left tribal party will no longer raise its demand for a separate state.
A joint statement on the matter will be signed soon by the authorised signatories of both parties, BJP state in- charge Sunil Deodhar said.
"The IPFT will not raise the demand for Twipraland or a separate state. It would work according to the agreed common minimum programme between the two parties," he claimed.
The saffron party has also promised to attend to the problems of the tribal people of Tripura.

"We have agreed to address the socio-economic, socio-cultural and linguistic concerns of the tribals in the state", Deodhar told PTI.
The talks for forging an electoral alliance with IPFT were held at a two-day meeting in Guwahati last week, he said.

"Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the chairman of North East Democratic Alliance, and BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav arrived in the state yesterday to work out the modalities of a pre-poll alliance with other anti-Left tribal parties," Deodhar said.
The BJP wants to provide more autonomy to tribals, who constitute one-third of the population in the state, and empower the tribal council, he claimed.

"After the finalisation of the alliance with IPFT, we can confidently say that we would win at least 18 of the 20 tribal-reserved seats and secure a huge majority in the sixty-member assembly," he said.
Deodhar said his party will not allow the division of the state.
"The tribal council will be empowered to provide more autonomy to all the 19 tribes of the state. The council will get one-thirds of the state budget, when the alliance is in power," he said.
Tripura will go to polls on February 18 and the results for the 60 constituencies will be announced on March 3.