Tripura BJP expels Vice President for 'anti-party' activities

Agartala, Oct 1 (IANS) In a significant political development, the ruling BJP on Tuesday expelled one of the party’s vice presidents, Patal Kanya Jamatia for ‘anti-party’ activities.

A BJP spokesman said that under the direction of the state party President Rajib Bhattacharjee, the party’s General Secretary Amit Rakshit expelled Jamatia, who is also the chairperson of the state-owned Tribal Rehabilitation and Plantation Corporation (TRPC), from the party.

The BJP took this major political decision a day after the senior tribal woman leader formed the Tripura People’s Socialist Party (TPSP) to highlight the rights and causes of the tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura's four million population.

The 49-year-old woman tribal leader and former founder President of Tripura People's Front joined the BJP in March 2022.

Ahead 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had served a show cause notice to Jamatia for accusing Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of allegedly “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.

She earlier claimed that Debbarma, a scion of erstwhile Tripura’s royal dynasty, has not only “cheated the tribals in the name of politics involving indigenous people” but also damaged the image and reputation of the state’s royal family.

The TMP more or less remained silent on Jamatia’s remarks but the BJP disapproved of the statement.

After signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the state government on March 2, the opposition TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7 and two of its MLAs – Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma -- became ministers.

TMP chief Debbarma persuaded the central BJP leaders to nominate her elder sister Kriti Devi Debbarman from the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat as a BJP nominee, prompting resentment among the tribal leaders of both the BJP and TMP.

Kriti Devi Debbarman, a resident of Chhattisgarh for many years, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the tribal reserved parliamentary seat defeating INDIA bloc-supported CPI-M nominee Rajendra Reang.

--IANS