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Tripura polls: BJP’s seat sharing deal is stuck over just one tribal seat

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BJP has sought for itself 11 out of 20 tribal seats leaving just 9 for ally IPFT, hopeful of early resolution to the logjam.

New Delhi: With assembly elections around the corner in Tripura, the BJP is trying hard to seal a seat sharing deal with its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is stuck over just one tribal seat.

The election in Tripura is seen as crucial since it will witness a direct fight between the Left and the BJP and its outcome is likely to have a bearing in Kerala as well. The southern state is the only Left bastion in India besides Tripura.

Sources indicate that both the BJP and the IPFT are driving a hard bargain over the 20 tribal seats of the total 60 in Tripura.

The sources told ThePrint that the BJP sought for itself 11out of 20 tribal seats leaving just 9 for IPFT, a tribal party. However, according to IPFT, it is looking for equal distribution of tribal seats.

The BJP sources said that the IPFT has asked for a friendly fight on one seat, claiming it has a strong candidate for it. However, the BJP is unwilling to accept IPFT’s proposal.

“We are sure that the alliance will hold strong and the seat sharing issue will be resolved soon,” said a senior BJP leader.

The one seat where IPFT is demanding a friendly fight — which means that BJP should not field its candidate and give a walkover to IPFT — is Kanchanpur in North Tripura district.

The BJP’s argument is that although Kanchanpur did not have many BJP supporters in the past it is slowly tilting towards the party. BJP leaders are hopeful that the deadlock over the Kanchanpura seat will be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, the BJP has launched a book targeting Tripura CM Manik Sarkar, in Delhi Tuesday. Sarkar, who carries a clean image and is credited with implementing a good governance model, is seen as the biggest challenge for the BJP.

Asked why the launch was scheduled in Delhi and not in Tripura, senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said that the “reality” of Sarkar and his government should be brought in front of the world and hence the decision to hold the event in the national capital.

Tripura, one of the eight northeastern states, is going to the polls on 18 February and the results are due on 3 March.

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