Meet Tripura's Ex Royal Who May Play Kingmaker This Poll Season

Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, chief of Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which has demanded a separate state for indigenous communities, 'Greater Tipraland', may emerge as a kingmaker in the upcoming state assembly elections.

All eyes are on the scion of the erstwhile Tripura royal family and former state Congress president, and his two-year-old party, as his aggressive campaign for the tribals, who form around 32 percent of the state's population, can effectively stoke the latent tribal sentiment of losing electoral relevance due to the inflow of East Bengal refugees from Partition, and during the creation of Bangladesh.

As his chopper lands in Ampinagar, one of the state's 20 reserved tribal seats, one can feel that 'Bubagra', as he is fondly called by the tribals, can deal a body blow to the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections.

Soon after his break from active politics following his exit from the Congress in 2019, he formed the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), also known as the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance, and won the 2021 Tripura tribal council polls, defeating the ruling BJP-IPFT alliance, the Left front, and Congress. It is contesting 42 of the total 60 seats, and is seen as the strongest political force in tribals areas.

Though influential among tribals, he is careful not to alienate other communities.

"These are old cliches, of palace to politics. I am someone who grew up and studied in the northeast, and I am fighting for the constitutional rights of the tribals. However, I am not against others, and carry a legacy that taught me this," he has said.

While Mr Deb Barma is not contesting himself, he is campaigning for his party, which is fielding candidates in many non-tribal areas. The significant tribal vote usually swings the election.

The BJP says his greater Tipraland demand, of curving out a separate state with more constitutional right for tribals, will affect the Bengali-tribal harmony.

"If you vote for Tipra, your vote will go to the Congress or CPI(M)," Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently said at a rally.

However, Tipra Motha supporters, across both the tribal and non-tribal population, reject the BJP's rhetoric.

"Our Maharaja is not communal, he is taking everyone along. Schedules caste, tribals, non-tribals, are all standing with him. This is his family legacy. When the Bengalis came as refugees of partition, it was the royal family that allowed them to settle here," said Pradip Mitra of Shantirbazar in South Tripura.

Another tribal youth, Robin Tripura from Jolaibari, said, "tribals in Tripura are deprived of their rights, and this is our last fight. It's a false campaign, all non-tribals will stay here in greater Tipraland."

Pradyot Deb Barma's slogan -- chini haa, chini shason (our land, our rule) -- is said to be catching the tribal imagination.

"In our call for greater Tipraland, we are asking for the rights of the tribal people. This is not at the cost of other communities. They are accusing us of dividing Tripura, but we are the ones speaking of unity. We want a secular Tripura where the indigenous people get their rights and live peacefully with all other communities. We have people from almost all communities as our candidates. What BJP says is propaganda and everyone knows which party is dividing the country," Mr Deb Barma shot back.

With his party symbol, Tripura's famous pineapple, Pradyot Deb Barma has given a call for 'Thansa', which means Unity in the tribal Kokborok language.