Tripura: Congress could suffer a big jolt as Royal scion may move towards Regional alliance
A new front seems to be emerging to take on the left front and this time around it looks like that it will not be the Congress or the Trinamool Congress .
The Tribal base where the CPI(M) controls 19 out of the 20 seats is on a very weak wicket and come 2018 election if the BJP can muster an alliance with the indigenous leadership then there can be a serious challenge to the Manik Sarkar led government in the state of Tripura.
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It is believed that the overtures made towards the Tribals by BJP (by proposing the name of the Airport after Maharaja Bir Bikram) has made positive impact and with the state Congress leadership at loggerheads with Maharaja Pradyot Bikram Manikya after the Simna Bypolls ,there could be a vertical split within the Tribal ranks in the Congress.
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The IPFT/INPT which also shares a good relation with the Royal Family is also watching the developments and if Pradyot Manikya resigns then he could play a key in bringing up the regional alliance as well.
The decision of Birajit Sinha and Gopal Roy to ignore Pradyot Manikya plea of not putting up a candidate in support of IPFT has hurt the Congress as it got a mere 155 votes and the candidate lost his deposit has proved costly.
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It is believed that AICC Secretary CP Joshi had asked Birajit to withdraw the candidate but the PCC President wanted to 'prove' a point to the Maharaja .
The BJP which has made inroads in the Tribal areas have also made overtures to the royal scion but it is believed that he will have a word with Rahul Gandhi before taking a decision.
'Pradyot Manikya has been unwell and underwent two surgeries,but he was sad that matters relating to the indigenous people were not given priority by state congress leaders' says one insider who is close aide of the palace adding that while leaders from IPFT,INPT and even the BJP regularly called on him when he was unwell no such attempt was made by any state congress leaders .
'He is hurt no doubt but he will have a word with Rahul Gandhi before taking any step because of old family ties' said the aide adding that 'if the Maharaja feels that Tribal sentiments are not being respected then he will quit gracefully from the Congress'
'He is not against the Party leadership in the Centre but thinks that state Congress leaders are not serious about raising issues about the Tribals' said another Congress ST Cell leader who also says that he would quit if the 'maharaja' did so.
The Tripura Royal Family has been at loggerheads with the Communists since independence and two of the tallest communist leaders Dashrath Deb and Manik Sarkar have lost against the royal family in elections.It is believed that if the Royal Scion decides to quit the Congress the party base in the ADC areas could be virtually wiped out.
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