Agartala, August 21, 2025 — The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a ruling ally of the BJP, announced on Wednesday that it will observe Statehood Demand Day on August 23 to press its long-standing demand for Tipraland, a separate state for tribals.
The IPFT confirmed that while leaders from the National Federation of New States will participate in the Agartala event, its tribal ally, the TIPRA Motha, will not attend.
“Our partners from other parts of the country where separate statehood movements are active will join us. But in Tripura, IPFT is the only party participating,” said Swapan Debbarma, IPFT general secretary.
He added that S.G. Sanya, president of the National Federation of New States and a key leader of the Vidarbha statehood movement in Maharashtra, will be present at the event, which is scheduled to be held near the North Gate of the Palace Compound. Local administration and police officials have already inspected the venue.
The IPFT has seen a steady decline in influence over the past seven years, coinciding with the rapid rise of the TIPRA Motha. Formed just four years ago, Motha swept the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections in 2021 and emerged as the second-largest party in the 2023 Assembly elections. Last year, Motha joined the government after signing an agreement with the state and central leadership to work toward “amicable solutions” to the issues faced by Tripura’s tribal communities.