Ruling BJP in Tripura heading for split over leadership

Agartala:The faction riddled BJP in Tripura is heading for a vertical split over large-scale dissidence against Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb within three years in the government with 36 seats in 60 –member assembly.

According to report, a sizable number of MLAs along with a group of senior leaders of the state BJP have decided to desert the party and float a new entity soon. However, the name, objects and chief of the new party have not yet been announced.

The state BJP president Dr Manik Saha said that he doesn’t have any such formal information but he believed desertion of a party like BJP would not be wise for anybody. He however, admitted that there have been some differences of opinion and ideas among a section of MLAs and senior leaders of the party, which is known to the central leadership too.

“Several parties including Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party were floated in the past by the prominent political personalities in the state but none could survive, as people of Tripura did not accept them. The leaders were tested several times in different positions and identities. Moreover, BJP is the only party now, which people rely on,” Dr Saha said.

The dissidence in state BJP has foamed after 2019 general elections when Sudip Roybarman was removed from the cabinet. A large number of MLAs sought to fill up four cabinet portfolios and include the representative of the scheduled caste community, but as on date it’s unresolved. The anti-incumbency started against the government, as none of the 299 poll promises of BJP was fulfilled properly and law and order situation has been deteriorating everyday.

The government stopped the disbursement of social pensions including the centrally sponsored schemes to a large number of beneficiaries for last three year, alleged a senior state functionary of BJP who is seeking the guards of the government and the party adding that all the regular employment has been ceased and people for the government departments are hired through outside agencies and NGOs at meagre payment.

“There is no new project, employment scheme for the poor and in implementing the previous government projects, the present government is defrauding our people. All the democratic institutions including the media became hostile against the Chief Minister. In last ADC election, BJP and it’s ally IPFT were washed out in tribal areas and the same situation prevailed in the plains,” he observed.

A group of MLAs accompanied by some senior leaders have been persuading the central leaders for restructuring the government as well as the party since August last year. The central leadership had initially asserted that after Bihar elections, they will look into Tripura but nothing has happened, said a BJP MLA who has been seeking a change of leadership.

“They promised to make course corrections after the Corona pandemic by January this year but they failed. Again they deferred Tripura matter for West Bengal elections but we made it clear that the anti-incumbency here will certainly affect Bengal but nobody bothered. Now, we have no other option but to leave the party. We understand the psychology of central leaders – they are ready to lose the game in 2023 and give the state again to communist, which we shall not accept,” said another MLA.

He alleged the quantum of corruption in three years of Biplab Kumar Deb’s rule has crossed all the limits of 25 years of misrule of leftist in Tripura and people have started reacting against the government and the ruling party that appeared to be the main reason for collapsing law and order. The people are now targeting ministers, MLAs and party leaders, which is gradually taking the worst turn.(UNI)