Agartala: The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) is ready to ally with the BJP for the Assembly polls in Tripura, IPFT chief N.C. Debbarma said on Wednesday.

Debbarma told reporters here that the decision was unanimously adopted at the party's two-day central committee meeting that ended on Wednesday.

The IPFT has been demanding a separate state, Twipraland, comprising areas under the state autonomous district council, for the state's indigenous communities. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb had earlier said his party would never agree to any separatist demand.

"We shall hold alliance talks whenever the BJP invites us. Assembly elections are not far. We feel the Centre is partially positive about our demand of statehood," Debbarma said. A 12-member core committee of the IPFT will hold talks with the BJP.

Asked if his party would veer away from statehood demand under any condition, he said the agenda wouldn't be compromised.

An IPFT delegation had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on January 5. The leaders claimed they had discussed "Twipraland" with Modi. In a second round of meeting on January 8, Modi had assured IPFT leaders that a high- powered modality committee would be formed to look into socio-economic, linguistic and cultural aspects of indigenous development in the state.

Asked if the committee was floated over "Twipraland", Debbarma said the panel was formed in the "context of statehood demand" though it would officially look into aspects of socio-economic development. The delegation had urged Rajnath to hold a tripartite meeting to assess the feasibility of a separate state for the indigenous communities of Tripura.

The IPFT had earlier said it would contest in 56 Assembly constituencies in the state if no political party agreed on its statehood demand.