In a major political development, Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) MLA Brishaketu Debbarma tendered his resignation from the State Assembly on Tuesday. The IPFT has been a coalition partner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State.
Mr. Debbarma cited personal reasons in his resignation letter handed to Assembly Speaker Rebati Mohan Das. He sent a copy of the letter to IPFT president N.C. Debbarma and to Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
The 44-year-old tribal leader won from the Simna constituency in west Tripura in the last Assembly elections held in February 2018 as a candidate of IPFT-BJP alliance. The IPFT had won eight seats.
Sources said Mr. Brishaketu Debbarma took decision to resign as the IPFT was reduced to an irrelevant entity in his own Simna constituency in view of the massive organisational expansion of the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) headed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.
The IPFT endured a humiliating defeat in recently held elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
Sources said Mr. Brishaketu Debbarma is expected to join the TIPRA and seek nomination from the party to contest from the same Simna Assembly segment in the by-election, when it happens. EOM
