After long speculation over their stand to support ruling BJP or the opposition CPI(M) in by-elections, finally on Friday Tipra-Motha clarified their stand and said they will not impose any favour to their party supporters to cast their votes.

Addressing a press conference at Agartala press club on Friday afternoon, the chairman of Tipra-Motha Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhwal accompanied by opposition leader Animesh Debbarma, party MLAs and CEM of ADC said that they have clear stand over support of by-elections and their will not dictate their party workers and supporters to cast their vote in favour of any candidate , rather they will appeal to them to cast vote any candidate they want to do it either it will be BJP candidate or CPI(M) candidate.

Hranghwal said that Tipra-Motha will stay away from supporting any party in the by-polls as by-poll is not an issue for them and their core agenda is to achieve ‘Greater Tipraland’ and ‘Thansa’ (unity) among communities.

 The ‘Tipra Motha’ will not impose any choice of party for support in the September 5th by-election on voters but may take a clear stand and they will not supporting neither CPI (M), nor BJP in the by-election to Boxanagar and Dhanpur assembly constituencies but are leaving the choice of support to the vote as per their choice, said opposition leader Animesh Debbarma.

He also said that after 2023 assembly elections, many people made allegations that Motha are the supporter of BJP or the CPI (M), but in reality the stand clear that Motha only want Greater Tipraland and contesting by-election or supporting any other political party is not an issue for them.

 “If the BJP says they support our political demands even at this late stage we can take a positive stand on support but they have not yet done so and we are leaving the choice to the judgment and wisdom of our voters” said Animesh and added that till date they are not satisfied by the role of Central government as well as BJP.

Regarding CPI (M) he said that they declared their candidate unilaterally without any consultation with ‘Motha’ and, hence , fighting the election as a united front is not possible. “After the last assembly election they made allegation that we had put up candidates in general and SC candidates and caused the defeat of the opposition ;so this time we did not put up any candidate to leave the field open; now it is up to the capability of the CPI (M) to fight the polls and win” said Animesh.

He reiterated that in the last assembly elections, the Motha candidates were not a factor both in Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats and within the last six months, there was no such political development that Motha became factors in both seats. That is the reason they stay away to contest the by-polls.