BJP drops Tipraland from poll modality panel before Shah’s visit to Tripura

AGARTALA:A day ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah’s visit to poll-bound Tripura, the party announced that a high-power modality committee would be constituted to discuss the socioeconomic and cultural issues of the indigeneous people, barring the issue of Tipraland.

The decision was taken during a meeting between a delegation of the Indigeneous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Friday.

“The Union ministry is always concerned for welfare of the indigeneous people. In the meeting, it was decided to form a high-power modality panel soon to discuss how to improve socio-economic and cultural issues of the indigeneous people of Tripura but not for discussing about Tipraland as BJP always has been opposing the demand,” said BJP president Biplab Deb at party headquarters in Agartala on Saturday.

Regarding possibilities of alliance, Deb said the party would announce its stand for “any prepoll alliance with regional parties” at the earliest.

After Meghalaya’s poll campaign tour, Amit shah will address two rallies at Ambassa in Dhalai district and Udaipur in Gomati District of Tripura on January 7.

He will be accompanied by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and BJP northeast zonal secretary Ajay Jamwal.

Shah will also address n intellectual meet organised at Agartala’s Muktadhara Auditorium and participate in a discussion with the party’s core group and state office bearers on Sunday.

He will fly to Dimapur on January 8.

Speaking about the tour, BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmik claimed that around 75,000 BJP activists will take part in the two central rallies

“We are expecting huge footfalls in both the rallies. Our two central rallies tomorrow (Sunday) would beat CPI(M)’s central rally organized on the eve of New Year,” Bhowmik said.