LS Polls: Pradyot emerges as a deciding factor

In the recent political developments of the state, more precisely in the spectrum of tribal politics, so to say, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman of Congress seemed to have established himself as a “deciding factor”. 

Pradyot, only recently, hogged the limelight with his critically acclaimed slogan of “Puila Jati Ulo Party (Community First Party Next)” in the backdrop of voicing protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill. The slogan was, in some senses, divisive or explained to be racial by the political adversaries but managed drawing attention of the indigenous people of the state. 

The apolitical movement that took shape against the Citizenship Amendment Bill throughout the state under his leadership gradually lost its ground as the Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha but it was not at all an end for Pradyot. He emerged as a mass leader in the tribal dominated areas. 

His huge rallies and mass acceptability in the remote to remotest corner of the state led the Congress high command too to play a bet on the “Pradyot Card”. As it was all lost situation for the Congress after facing a debacle in the last assembly elections, Pradyot emerged as the last pin in the coffers for the party to reinvigorate its stature. 

He was then made the parties state president, a successor of former minister Birajit Sinha with whom he was not in very good amnesty. AICC’s view with Pradyot also hurt a good number of senior and efficient leaders of the party.

As expected, Pradyot in his first well fetched move targeted the regional political parties---INPT, NCT, IPFT Tipra-Ha and all who were known to have ill-feelings with the ruling BJP. Though, the IPFT is the party in coalition in the incumbent BJP-IPFT government, the distances between both the allies was in public, right from the inception. 

Instances of violence and internal clashes were also reported regarding BAC chairman issue. Recognising the cracks, Pradyot jumped into the vacuum and successfully assimilated all the tribal leaders. He, although, failed to convince the IPFT leadership to break the alliance but successfully integrated a bunch of unhappy IPFT leaders to stand beside him. 

In the meantime, senior BJP leader Subal Bhowmik also rejoined the Congress which meant a lot in the decaying party. He also led the party to withdraw the expulsion note on former Chief Minister Samir Ranjan Barman which was also unlikely for a fraction of the party leaders. 

However, at last but not the least, he introduced, Pragya Debbarma, his sister and royal scion of the state as the Congress candidate. The move was enough to prove his intention to assimilate tribal electorates under a single roof ahead of elections, and also to give a befitting fight back in the East Tripura (ST reserved) constituency but it seemed to have gone wrong in some extent. 

In his attempts to integrate and nurture the tribal votes, he supposed to have missed the larger section. In the minds of Non-tribal voters who contribute 70% of the state’s populace are in a state of confusion with Pradyot. And finally, the active social media squad of BJP has regarded him in an explicitly communal shade. 

Meanwhile, he had also made moves to clear his stance which were not that up to that mark to weed out the confusion wholly. But yes, he has achieved significance in state’s political gamut and it is indeed, needed to be watch out his progress in near future.