Agartala, April 4 : Veteran politician and ruling BJP’s ally Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) Chief and Revenue Minister of Biplab Kumar Deb government N C Debbarma lost of President to his j or and Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kr Jamatia by 65 votes on Sunday night after two-day long conference of the party here. According to report, N C was agreed to relinquish of President because of age and prolong ailments but at the eleventh hour reportedly he wanted to remain in that forced the party functionaries to hold election to the top post between incumbent president and general secretary. The IPFT supported BJP and had won the 2018 assembly elections with the slogan of separate Tipraland for the tribal, elevating the status of autonomous district council (ADC). But for three years of getting into the power they couldn’t achieve a single of their demand, which paved the way for royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman to launch a new party – Tipra Motha demanding Greater Tipraland and marginalized IPFT in the hills. IPFT sources said after the emergence of Tipra Motha led by Pradyot before last elections to ADC, the party became divided over extending support to Pradyot. Both Mevar and N C held joint press conference to support Tipra Motha in ADC poll because BJP didn’t keep it’s alliance commitment. However, within a week IPFT back-track Pradyot and fought election as a partner of BJP and not able to open an account. The fight between BJP and IPFT has been continuing soon after the formation of the government. The IPFT leaders claimed that BJP had committed them to leave the ADC affairs to IPFT and would not interfere in their functioning but allegedly, BJP started doing the reverse and insisted violence between two partners and the situation became hostile, sources said. With the emergence of Tipra Motha, a large number of IPFT supporters including an MLA of the later party Brishaketu Debbarma and Mevar’s wife Gita Debbarma have joined them. Reportedly, Mevar Kr Jamatia has been persuading to extend IPFT’s support to Motha especially after humiliating defeat in ADC poll but N C Debbarma was not agreeing. However, electing as President of the party, Mevar Kr Jamatia announced to fight back to revamp its organization instead of merging with any other regional party and said, “We are not in a good position owing to erosion in our support base. And, committed to rebuilding the organisation and intensifying the agitation for statehood demand, which IPFT has launched in 2009.” BB BM