Talks With Centre On Tripura Indigenous People's Demand To Start

Union home minister Amit Shah has agreed to appoint an interlocutor and begin the process for a "constitutional solution for the indigenous people of Tripura," former Tripura royal Pradyot Manikya Debburma tweeted today after a meeting between his Tipra Motha and the BJP. The meeting was meant to discuss an alliance with between the two parties. Sources, however, said there was no talk of the Tipra Motha joining the government.

Tipra Motha, in fact, will not join the government until their demand of a constitutional solution has been met, said sources in the party.

The ministry will name the interlocutor soon. The talks will be on the line of the talks in Nagaland with ENPO (Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation), the sources added.

Formed to push the demand for a Greater Tipraland, Mr Debburma's new party has won 13 seats in the recently concluded assembly elections.  It was the second largest score, which came at the cost of the BJP ally IPFT  (Indigenous Progressive Front of Tripura).

The party had won just one seat out of the five it contested this time, the BJP won 31.

The rapid rise of Tipra Motha has raised concern in the BJP camp, with the general elections due next year and a need was felt to bring it within the alliance network, sources have indicated.

The BJP's initial overtures to the tribal-backed party had fallen through, with both sides remaining resolute on their stance. The BJP had made it clear that a division of the state is out of the question. The Tipra Motha had refused to climb down from its core demand for a Greater Tipraland.

The fresh talks were part of the initiative to break the impasse.

Early this morning, Mr Debbarma tweeted that he "has not compromised" and asked his supporters to "wait and watch". A former state Congress chief, Mr Debbarma has repeatedly stressed that he would happily sit in the Opposition than opt for a compromise.