Tripura BJP expels state vice-president a day after she floats own political party

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday expelled its Tripura vice president Patal Kanya Jamatia a day after she floated a new political platform of her NGO – the Tripura People’s Front (TPF).

The BJP said in a statement that Jamatia was expelled for “anti-party” activities and for breaking organisational discipline.

“Bharatiya Janata Party Tripura Pradesh Committee vice president Smt. Patal Kanya Jamatia has been expelled from the primary membership of the party due to anti party activities and for violating party discipline. This expulsion has come into effect immediately according to a notice signed by BJP state general secretary Amit Rakshit as per instruction from state president,” the statement said.

Jamatia on Monday floated ‘Tripura People’s Socialist Party’ (TPSP) under the banner of her NGO that was founded in 2014.

“We have floated the political platform – the Tripura People’s Socialist Party. It will work in three fronts – the NGO will work socially, the TPSP will work politically, and the Tripura People’s Farmer Organization (TPFO) will work for entrepreneurship and cooperatives,” Jamatia said.

Jamatia joined the BJP a year ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, which was then seen as a significant move to take on the TIPRA Motha party founded by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma.

The TPF was dissolved with her joining the saffron party. She contested the assembly elections from Ampinagar ST-reserved seat in Gomati district but lost. However, she was made the chairperson of Tripura Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation Limited (TRPCL) last year.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had served her a show cause notice after she accused Pradyot Debbarma of “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.

Though she claimed that she remains in BJP, she had hinted that the supporters of the NGO who joined the party along with her are not getting opportunities to work.

“Patal Kanya is in BJP…TPF is BJP. So, TPF announced a political platform under umbrella of BJP. If anyone has a problem, they can say. I don’t have any problem,” she told media persons on Monday.