BJP VP Patal Kanya floats new party, willing to continue dual role

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 30, 2024

BJP Vice President Patal Kanya Jamatia, who holds a Minister of State status following the 2023 Assembly Elections, has announced the formation of her own political party while maintaining her current position in the BJP. Jamatia revealed that she will continue as BJP vice president and simultaneously lead her newly formed political outfit, the Tripura People’s Socialist Party (TPSP).

The TPSP is an extension of her NGO, the Tripura People’s Front(TPF), which has been engaged in social causes for the past decade. “On the tenth foundation anniversary of TPF, we are launching our political platform, the Tripura People’s Socialist Party,” Jamatia announced, adding that Raghubir Jamatia will serve as the party’s president. Alongside the political wing, they are also introducing an entrepreneurship and cooperative initiative, the Tripura People’s Farmers Organisation.

When asked about potential conflicts with her BJP role, Jamatia stated, “I will definitely continue as BJP vice president. I am not holding an office in the new party; I will serve as its founder and supremo. If someone from the Tipra Motha Party can contest and win on a BJP symbol, I have the right to be affiliated with another party as well.” Jamatia explained that many TPF members who had joined BJP under her leadership were not fully utilized within the party, prompting the creation of a new political platform. “Our foot soldiers have been active on the ground but were underutilized after joining BJP. That’s why we decided to form this new political force, though we will all work under the broader BJP umbrella,” she added.A known critic of Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, the royal scion, Jamatia joined BJP after her alliance with the Tipra Motha Party collapsed ahead of the ADC elections.