Agartala, October 01: In a dramatic political move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled its state vice president and prominent tribal leader Patal Kanya Jamatia on Tuesday for “anti-party” activities and breaking organisational discipline.
The expulsion follows Patal Kanya’s announcement of a new political platform, the Tripura People’s Socialist Party (TPSP), which she claimed would operate under the BJP’s umbrella.
The BJP’s Tripura Pradesh Committee, through a statement issued by its state media in-charge Sunit Sarkar, confirmed the expulsion.
The official notice signed by the party’s state general secretary Amit Rakshit read: “Smt. Patal Kanya Jamatia has been expelled from the primary membership of the BJP due to anti-party activities and for violating party discipline. This expulsion has come into immediate effect under the instruction of the state president.”
Patal Kanya Jamatia, a well-known tribal rights activist, initially entered the political arena by forming the Tripura Peoples Front (TPF) in June 2014.
Her party had focused on tribal issues, particularly around the alleged large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh. However, when she merged her party with the BJP, the TPF was dissolved, and her supporters joined the BJP ranks.
Despite dissolving her political party, Patal Kanya’s non-governmental organization (NGO), also named TPF, continued its operations. On Monday, she surprised political observers by announcing the formation of the Tripura People’s Socialist Party (TPSP). Describing the new political platform, she said it would operate in three branches: political, NGO, and entrepreneurship with a cooperative focus. The cooperative arm was named the Tripura People’s Farmers’ Organization.
At her announcement, she expressed dissatisfaction with the opportunities her NGO supporters, who had joined the BJP, were receiving within the party.
“The TPF was founded in 2014, and for the last ten years, we have worked socially as an NGO. Today, we are floating a new political platform – the TPSP. From now on, it will work across multiple sectors, including politics and entrepreneurship,” she said.
Patal Kanya’s move to establish the TPSP came as a shock within BJP circles. The BJP initially stated that the matter was under discussion, and the final decision on her status would be made after internal consultations. However, the expulsion followed swiftly, indicating the party’s decisive stance against any perceived breach of loyalty.
The expulsion of Patal Kanya Jamatia underscores the internal tensions within the BJP’s state unit, particularly concerning its tribal leaders. With the formation of the TPSP, it remains to be seen how this new political platform will influence tribal politics in Tripura and whether Patal Kanya’s supporters will rally around her in defiance of the BJP.
Patal Kanya Jamatia’s rise in politics has been shaped by her commitment to tribal rights and advocacy against illegal immigration.
Her expulsion from the BJP, along with the launch of her new platform, signals a significant shift in the state’s political dynamics, particularly within the tribal communities.
As tribal politics in Tripura enters a period of flux, the impact of this expulsion, along with the future trajectory of the TPSP, will likely play a critical role in shaping upcoming electoral battles.
The ruling BJP, already managing alliances and tensions within its broader base, now faces the challenge of addressing discontent within its tribal wing.
With the political landscape shifting rapidly, all eyes will be on how Patal Kanya’s new political venture unfolds and how it will reshape the power equations in Tripura.
