Twists and turns in BJP-Tipra Motha relationship as union home minister meets ‘Motha’ delegation

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 2, 2025

The state BJP is fed up with the opportunistic partner the ‘Tipra Motha’s politics of pressure , blackmailing and coercion and a large section of the party is in favour of launching a major drive to win over the tribal electorate from the overriding but deceptive politics of the ‘Motha’ leadership, specially party president Pradyot Kishore. Disclosing this in an informal conversation a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity that the party is exploring ways and means of launching an organizational drive to further strengthen the party’s base in the tribal dominated areas. “We had a fairly strong base in the ADC areas as evident from the results of the last assembly election as well as the ADC election and we should have been serious about preserving that base ; the tribals are also keen to remain in the political mainstream of the nation but our sudden alliance with the ‘Tipra Motha’ in the wake of the ADC election in 2021 has cost us dear ; we must regain our base” said the leader.

He said that the ‘Motha’ leadership met with union home minister in Delhi yesterday and the meeting was successful but how the ‘Motha’ leadership will react after returning to the state remains to be seen. The leader said that the state government has never dragged feet over giving due funds to the ADC and the fund required for implementation of the tripartite accord with the militant groups is also being sanctioned by the union home ministry. “The 125th amendment of the constitution to further empower the 6th schedule based ADCs is still under consideration but that proposal has to be carefully vetted by the union law ministry because it has serious constitutional implications ; we are sure that Centre will take an appropriate decision in the matter and the ‘Motha’ leadership must have been told about this by the union home minister” said the BJP leader.

Regarding the ‘Tipra Motha’s demand for direct funding he said that it will not be possible under the present constitutional structure which is federal and based on division of power between states and Centre ; to make provision for direct funding a lot of amendments in the constitution will be required including the basic federal structure which is not possible in the light of the Keshavananda Bharati judgement of the supreme court. ‘This direct funding thing has to be forgotten ; what the Centre can do at most under the present constitutional structure is making provision for earmarked funding but then regular audit of accounts of the ADC must be made mandatory; but we should wait for the time being in stead of speculating” said the senior BJP leader.

He also expressed deep resentment of the party over the hidden interference of the top ‘Tipra Motha’ leader in the internal affairs of BJP in Tripura . “One topmost ‘Tipra Motha’ leader is trying to meddle in factional equations in the party here and this has not gone down well with the BJP’s leadership at the state and central level” said the leader.

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