Ruling ally IPFT MLA Mevar Kumar Jamatia resigns, 7th MLA to quit assembly

In another political development and yet another big blow to the regional Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) , ruling alliance of BJP-IPFT Tripura government, IPFT MLA and former minister from Asharambari Assembly constituency in Khowai district Mevar Kumar Jamatia on Tuesday submitted his resignation as MLA from the state assembly, who will join ‘Tipra Motha’ party.

Jamatia accompanied by his wife and Tipra-Motha leader Gita Debbarma along with leaders of Motha appeared in the chamber of assembly speaker Ratan Chakraborty and formally tendered his resignation personally as required. With the resignation of Jamatia, the IPFT's strength was reduced to five from eight.

Later, speaking with media persons, Assembly speaker Ratan Chakraborty said that his resignation has been accepted and soon a gazette notification will be issued by the state’s assembly.

Mevar Kumar Jamatia, who had been the Forest and Tribal Welfare Minister in BJP-IPFT coalition government, immediately after submitting his resignation letter to assembly Speaker Ratan Chakraborty and from the party said that he would decide in a day or two about his next course of political action.

It may be mentioned here that due to growing internal feud among leaders of IPFT, Jamatia was dropped from the state cabinet and Jamatia himself maintained distance with the IPFT.

Jamatia was the third IPFT MLA to submit their resignation as MLA of Tripura the Assembly since last year.

On October 14 last, IPFT MLA Dhananjoy Tripura, accompanied by TIPRA supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker, who immediately accepted it.

Dhananjoy Tripura and a few other leaders of different political parties, later joined TIPRA. IPFT MLA Brishaketu Debbarma also resigned from the Assembly in June last year and joined the Motha.

Jamatia is the seventh MLA of the BJP-IPFT ruling alliance who submitted their resignation. Earlier BJP MLAs Burba Mohan Tripura, Ashish Das, Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Kumar Saha also quit the party and the Assembly after open differences with top leaders of ruling BJP.

Das joined the Trinamool Congress last year but quit it in May this year while Roy Barman, also a former BJP Minister, and Saha joined the Congress in February this year and Sudip Roy Barman was re-elected to the state assembly for the sixth time in the by-elections held in June as a Congress candidate. Burba Mohan Tripura after his submission of resignation letter as MLA, joined Tipra-Motha.