In a major political development, the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS), a political partner of the main opposition Congress, snapped its 17-year-old ties with the latter.

Announcing this at a press conference, TUJS general secretary and former Minister Rabindra Debbarma told newsmen that in view of the Congress-CPI(M) alliance in all-India politics, his party has decided not to support the Congress in the State.

The TUJS had been demanding the East Tripura Lok Sabha seat from the Congress, but no leader of the Congress in the State and at the Centre obliged, Mr. Debbarma said, adding that a party delegation recently visited New Delhi and met AICC general secretaries Pranab Mukherjee and Ambika Soni. But no positive response about the party’s demand to allot the Tripura East seat. The crucial decision to reversal ties with the Congress was taken at the TUJS’s central committee conference held recently.

The development paves the way for a new political alignment between the TUJS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura. TUJS general secretary Rabindra Debbarma met executive committee member of the BJP and observer for Tripura Bansilal Soni and held a series of discussions with him. Expressing satisfaction over the outcome of the meeting, Mr. Debbarma said the BJP was unanimous about the important demands of the tribal party of providing more power to Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and introduction of inner line permit in the tribal belts. Mr. Soni also assured the tribal leaders of arranging a meeting between the TUJS and the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister shortly to finalise the issues, Debbarma said.