Who is Patal Kanya Jamatia Patal Kanya, who started as a tribal rights activist, founded the Tripura People's Front (TPF) in June 2014. She filed petitions with the Supreme Court regarding alleged large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Tripura and sought the court's intervention to identify anyone who came to Tripura after July 1948, treat them as illegal immigrants, and deport them. Her demand for Indian nationality predates the Indira-Mujib Pact and even the Assam model of NRC revision. Six years ago, in October 2018, she filed a petition with the apex court, seeking to identify people who arrived in Tripura since July 19, 1948, as illegal immigrants, delete their names from voter lists, and deport them. In 2018, Patal Kanya-who stated in 2022 that former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb was the "best chief minister to have ever served in Tripura"-had previously alleged that Deb was an "illegal immigrant" from Bangladesh. "All administrative powers in Tripura are controlled by illegal immigrants. Administrative power means... all the administration, even up to the Chief Minister... the present Chief Minister is also an illegal immigrant, (who has) come from Bangladesh," she alleged at the time. Regarding her vision for NRC revision in Tripura starting in 1948, she stated that the government of India was duty-bound to protect Indian citizens and provide them safety and tranquility, as tribals had become a minority in their own state, declining from over 90 percent when Tripura merged with the Indian Union in 1949 to around 30 percent today. She also led protests against the BJP's ambitious Citizenship Amendment Act, citing concerns about the further marginalization of tribal communities. However, most of her protests fell silent after she joined the BJP. Electoral Defeat and Corporation Chairpersonship After joining the BJP, she was given a ticket for the 2023 state legislative assembly elections from the Ampinagar ST-reserved seat in Gomati district. She lost the election but was later appointed chairperson of the Tripura Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation Limited (TRPCL). BJP Expels Patal Kanya Jamatia The expulsion came shortly after the party discussed Patal Kanya Jamatia's ambitious declaration on Monday about launching a new political platform called the Tripura People's Socialist Party (TPSP), claiming it would be under the saffron party's umbrella. The BJP also said a decision would be taken after discussions among its leaders. In a press release issued by BJP state media in-charge Sunit Sarkar, the party announced, "Bharatiya Janata Party Tripura Pradesh Committee vice president 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 to effect immediately as per a notice signed by BJP state general secretary Amit Rakshit as per instruction from state president." Resurgence of TPF Leading to Expulsion from BJP Patal Kanya, a tribal rights activist, founded the Tripura People's Front (TPF) in June 2014 and filed petitions with the Supreme Court over alleged large-scale illegal immigration from across the border. Her party, the TPF, was dissolved when she joined the BJP, with all her supporters following her into the saffron camp. However, her NGO called TPF continued, and she recently announced the formation of a new political platform called the Tripura People's Socialist Party, which she claimed would operate under the BJP's umbrella. After launching the new political platform, Patal Kanya stated, "The TPF was founded on June 30, 2014. In these ten years, we have worked socially as an NGO. Today, we are launching a political platform-the Tripura People's Socialist Party. From today, it will function in three areas: NGO, political, and entrepreneurship and cooperative. The entrepreneurship and cooperative platform will be known as the Tripura People's Farmers' Organization." She also hinted that supporters of the NGO who joined the BJP with her were not receiving opportunities within the party. TPF Under BJP's Umbrella? When asked, she said she is still with the BJP, and the TPF was now a political platform under the party's umbrella. "Patal Kanya is in BJP... Vice President of BJP. TPF is BJP. So today, TPF has been announced as a political platform under the umbrella of BJP. If anyone has a problem, they will say so. I don't have any problem," she said at the media briefing. She also alleged that the TIPRA Motha party had received two ministerial positions and contested the Lok Sabha polls under the BJP symbol without raising questions. After signing a tripartite agreement with the Central and Tripura governments, the TIPRA Motha party became an alliance partner of the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls. TIPRA Motha leaders Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma were appointed ministers, and Pradyot Kishore's elder sister Kriti Singh Debbarma won the East Tripura Lok Sabha constituency under the BJP symbol. However, the BJP distanced itself from her claims of forming TPF under its umbrella by expelling her. Rebellious Streak and Previous Show-Cause Notices Prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP issued a show-cause notice to Jamatia for accusing TIPRA Motha party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma of "spreading hatred" between tribals and non-tribals in the state. The BJP had also said earlier today that a decision regarding Patal Kanya Jamatia, who had received another show-cause notice in April for her accusations against TIPRA Motha, would be taken after discussions about her new political platform within the party. The announcement of her expulsion followed this evening.