“Party wants me to work to strengthen the organisation,” outgoing CM Biplab Deb said.
New Delhi: Manik Saha has replaced Biplab Deb as Tripura chief minister, after the latter stepped down from his post on Saturday, May 14, afternoon. The change of guard comes nearly a year before the state heads to Assembly polls in early 2023.
Saha, who has been BJP state unit president and Rajya Sabha MP, was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party on Saturday evening. Union minister Bhupender Yadav and senior leader Vinod Tawde, who were sent as party central observers, oversaw the legislature party meeting.
The resignation of Deb and anointment of Saha took place at a speed that surprised several party leaders in the state, who appeared to have no clue of the unfolding developments.
The outgoing chief minister was in Delhi on Friday to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership, including BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah. He flew down to Agartala, the state capital, on Saturday morning and headed to Raj Bhavan to put his papers.
On being asked why he had to resign, Deb said, “These are party decisions. These happen. Let me work and win in 2023.”
“Party wants me to work to strengthen the organisation,” news agency PTI quoted Biplab Deb as saying.
Extending congratulations to the new chief minister, Deb said, “The party made him president and he worked a lot. The local body elections were held under his watch, in which the BJP won. He was elected leader of the legislature party. I congratulate him. I hope he will accelerate the pace of work I started, and that he will strengthen the party and government.”
Speaking to the media, the chief minister appointee, Saha, said, “I was given the responsibility of the state (party) president. I worked…. Now I have been named leader of the legislature party. The CM proposed my name, everyone supported.”
Saha, a leading dental surgeon, was made chief of the state BJP in 2020. He had joined the party in 2016, two years before it came to power in the state.
The resignation of Deb comes amid rumours of infighting within the BJP’s state unit.
“We are taken by surprise. Don’t know what prompted him. But obviously he had discussions with the party central leadership. The party may have some plans and we are confident that it will be good for the party,” the IE report quoted a minister in Deb’s Cabinet as saying.
The state is scheduled to face Assembly elections early next year.
A letter, signed by 15 senior BJP leaders in the state, accuses state party chief Manik Saha of not playing an active enough role in the party’s functioning.
Agartala: The internecine squabble within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura is showing no signs of ending, at least for now. The party that lost two of its key legislators who are credited for its landslide victory in the 2018 assembly polls, is now witnessing another wave of dissidence against incumbent state party president Manik Saha.
At least 15 senior BJP leaders from the party’s ‘old guard’, including minister Ram Prasad Paul, have written a letter requesting Saha resign, claiming that the saffron party has severely suffered under his leadership.
“We all, state-level senior leaders of the BJP; those who spent almost 30 years with this organisation, (are) awfully sorry to inform that you in your last 26 months as president of the Tripura Pradesh BJP, the party has not only severely suffered in almost every Mandal of the state, but the (morale) of the karyakartas and (members of) elected government bodies, such as Panchayat members, MLAs etc., has gone down to such a low that they even don’t bother to leave their official posts (or the) BJP,” the letter reads.
The party leaders claimed that after Saha became the state party president in January, 2020, there have been parallel organisations running in almost every mandal between two factions of the BJP, calling it a matter of shame that the police have had to intervene in many cases to stop the BJP’s infighting in public.
“Things have became so because you have hardly visited any far off mandals and districts personally in last 26 months to evaluate why things are going wrong and neither (have you) offered any solution to solve those issues,” the leaders alleged in the letter.
They also blamed Saha for the ruling party’s loss in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) election, which was held in April 2021.
Further, the leaders alleged that Saha became the BJP president in Tripura for “some unknown reason”, violating the organisation’s constitution which clearly mentions that no one can be made the state party president without having at least 10 year’s experience being a direct office bearer.
“Manik ji, now three elections are due within ten days, including the village council elections, by-elections in many constituency and the assembly election, 2023. Please (vacate) your chair now, in the larger interest and help the BJP to develop organisation and re-win every election of Tripura by vacating your post and helping a new, competent, experienced person to take over as BJP Tripura President in this critical hour, “the letter reads.
“Remember, without any proper election and by depriving competent, experienced and capable senior leaders, the BJP selected you as Tripura president. Manik Saha ji, now please step down from the president’s post and return the cost of the ‘milk of the mother’ to the BJP, which has fed you for the last 26 months,” the letter continues.
Speaking to The Wire, the erstwhile BJP president of the Sadar sub-division of the West Tripura district alleged that ever since Saha was appointed as the state party, the BJP started losing its ground.
The senior leader also alleged that the number of youths that are part of the BJP-backed ‘bike bahini‘ (literally, bike-borne force) has increased across the state and are responsible for committing acts of violence.
“We 15 (senior BJP leaders) have signed a letter requesting him to quit the seat. He has miserably failed and we have even lost the TTAADC poll. He should quit before the upcoming assembly election, which will be held in 2023. Since the last 35 years, we have been working for the BJP; we are not paratroopers,” the senior leader said.
The infighting within the party was on display on Wednesday, February 23, when BJP members in the state, led by deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma and jail minister Ramprasad Paul, protested an alleged conspiracy of the opposition CPI(M).
However, on Tuesday evening, the state BJP issued a press statement in which they said that no permission had been afforded to the leaders to hold any rally on Wednesday. The leaders, however, claimed that the were not aware of the matter.
On August 29, 2021, former BJP MLA Sudip Roy Barman, who recently joined the Congress, had taken part in a meeting convened by ‘disgruntled BJP MLAs’. The agenda of the meeting was to draw the attention of party leadership in New Delhi to the “mistakes” made by the party’s Tripura unit and the functioning of the state government under the leadership of chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
At that meeting, many senior leaders of BJP who were reportedly side-lined after the BJP formed government in the state, joined the meeting along with Barman and other MLAs of the saffron party.
In this exclusive interview, the four-time Left CM essays the challenges of leading an opposition amidst the violence allegedly displayed by the Biplab Deb government.
In this exclusive interview to The Wire, four-time Left Front chief minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar details the continuing attacks his party, the CPI(M), has had to face allegedly at the hands of the ruling BJP.
Nepali ambassador Nilamabar Acharya sought clarifications in a phone call with MEA joint secretary (north) Arindam Bagchi on Biplab Deb’s remarks.
New Delhi: Nepal has formally lodged a protest with India against a public statement made by Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb, claiming that Union home minister Amit Shah had plans for “BJP governments” to be established in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
On Tuesday, Nepali Twitter users had tagged the official handles of Nepal’s prime minister and foreign minister to draw their notice to a news report on Deb’s remarks.
In response, Nepali foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali stated that a “formal objection” has been conveyed.
Noted. Formal objection has been already conveyed.
The Kathmandu Post reported that the Nepali ambassador Nilamabar Acharya had registered the oral protest in a phone call with MEA’s joint secretary (north), Arindam Bagchi, on Monday.
Deb had told state party officials on Saturday that BJP wanted to establish the party and form governments in neighbouring countries after winning all states in India.
The Post reported that the Nepal envoy expressed displeasure and sought a clarification from India. The MEA official assured him that these statements were baseless, and a clarification would be issued during the weekly briefing by the foreign ministry later this week, as per the Nepali paper.
Opposition parties in Tripura state, both from Left and Congress, castigated the chief minister and sought a response from the central leadership of BJP.
The Congress’ principal Twitter handle posted that India’s relations with neighbours had reached a low due to “foolish claims” made by leaders like Deb.
It is not yet known if Sri Lanka has also asked for any clarifications from India. However, Sri Lanka Co-cabinet spokesman Udaya Gammanpila has held off on commenting on the matter and said the government will need confirmation if the statement quoted by Deb was indeed made by Amit Shah, according to the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Election Commission’s chairman Nimal Punchihewa has dampened any possibility of BJP opening a unit in the island nation. “Any Sri Lankan political party or group is permitted to have external links with any party or group overseas. But, our electoral laws do not permit overseas political parties to work here,” Punchihewa told reporters on Monday.
The Tripura chief minister has claimed that Amit Shah had shared his intentions of expanding BJP to neighbouring countries during a party meeting in Tripura on Saturday.
New Delhi: Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has revealed that Amit Shah has plans to establish BJP governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka, according to a report published by East Mojo.
Deb said that Shah had told a party meeting at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan, during his visit to Tripura on Saturday, that BJP wanted to establish the party and form governments in neighbouring countries after winning all states in India.
“We were talking in the state guest house when Ajay Jamwal (northeast zonal secretary of BJP) said that BJP had formed its government in several states of India. In reply, Shah said that now Sri Lanka and Nepal are left. We have to expand the party in Sri Lanka, Nepal and win there to form a government,” East Mojoquoted Deb as saying.
Hailing Amit Shah’s leadership of the BJP, Deb said that it was under him that his party had become the world’s largest party, by breaking the records of Communists, who were known to make claims of being a global party.
The Tripura chief minister further said that BJP was working in Kerala to end “flip-flop government” and to install a government headed by its leadership. Similarly, he exuded confidence that people of West Bengal would bid goodbye to TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming elections, and that “lotus will bloom” across the country, including in Tamil Nadu.
Opposition from the state has demanded clarification from the Central leadership of the BJP regarding the statements made by the chief minister of Tripura in a public meeting.
CPI (M) leader and former MP Jitendra Chaudhary said that the chief minister does not have any understanding of the constitution and democracy. He added that Amit Shah’s statements, as claimed by Deb, amounted to the interference of India in the internal affairs of a foreign country.
The CPI (M) leader alleged that the home minister of India was engaged in a “state conspiracy against Nepal” and the evidence was given by no less than by a person holding a constitutional post in the state of Tripura. He further said that Deb’s statement cannot be taken casually and demanded a response from the BJP top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tripura Congress unit vice-president, Tapas Dey, said Amit Shah’s statements amounted to “imperialism”, which India had fought against for many years. He added that India cannot interfere in the sovereign affairs of Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Speaking to The Wire, the four-time Tripura chief minister discusses the Left Front’s strategy to fight the BJP, the possible impact of anti-incumbency in the assembly elections, unemployment in the state and more.
Speaking to The Wire, the four-time Tripura chief minister discusses the Left Front’s strategy to fight the BJP, the possible impact of anti-incumbency in the assembly elections, unemployment in the state and more.
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty: The BJP has mounted a huge campaign against the ruling Left government and you are facing this challenge after a long time. How prepared is your party to lead this challenge?
Manik Sarkar: Our party is well prepared and people themselves have started voicing this slogan – they will constitute Left Front government for the eighth term with more votes, more seats. We have actually taken this slogan from their mouth and inserted in our Left Front manifesto. This is the mindset of the common people of our state. So organisationally we are trying our level best.
SBP: In 2008, Congress had also put up a big fight against the Left but they failed to topple your government. How are you seeing this challenge vis-à-vis 2008?
MS: Election is always a challenging political struggle. Election is a high form of political struggle. It is a trust battle according to our understanding. Thereby, those who are in the opposite camp, they will try their level best to use all their arms in all fronts. From our side, we shall also not leave any stone unturned. That is what is going on.
SBP: I want to ask you about the PM twisting your name and talking about ‘Manik’ and ‘HIRA’. It’s as much an attack on the party or your government as on you. How would you like to comment on that?
MS: No, I don’t like to comment. Election is not a battle between two persons or two personalities. It is a battle of ideologies, politics, programme and its implementation. So he [Modi] is representing his class outlook, his political outlook and understanding and he is talking in favour of his own party, in favour of his own ideologies which he believes.
I am actually standing by the side of my ideological position or political understanding or class outlook and we have our own programme, a pro-people programme that we are taking to the people, who have their own experience. Experience is the best judge and teacher for any human being. We are leaving everything to the common people and they are reacting, their body language is very clear.
SBP: So you are confident?
MS: This confidence I am gathering is from the confidence in the masses, [from] what I have been observing.
SBP: The Left has been saying that the BJP is trying to break the communal harmony in the state. Why is the Left saying this, on what basis?
MS: We are saying this because the alliance which they have developed is an unholy alliance. The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has been voicing that Tripura should be carved and new state should be formed and constituted. So the main attempt is to create a division between tribals and non-tribals. The unity between the tribals and non-tribals is the backdrop of the democratic movement in Tripura. On the basis of that unity, the Left and Congress government has developed and flourished and is flourishing, on which the emergence of the Left government has happened.
What does it mean if they are targeting the Left Front government? Until and unless they break this unity, create distance between tribals and non-tribals, how will they be able to do all these things? That’s why the BJP is using the IPFT. They have developed their political alliance. BJP has been claiming that they are the nationalist political party, they are the champion of the unity and integrity of India, [and that they] protect the sovereignty of India.
If it is so, knowing everything full well, they are politically aligning with IPFT, who are voicing the demand that Tripura should be divided into two and a new state shall have to be brought in. [Tripura] is a small state, a tiny state, 10,400 square kilometres [and with] 40 lakh population.
The IPFT has been created by none other than the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), an extremist organisation that is still declared unlawful; it was declared by the government of India. They have their camps in Bangladesh, they had their camps inside Tripura. We have demolished all these things. We have cornered them.
At one point in time in Tripura, there was AFSPA, a disturbed area act. We have done away with all these things. We have brought back peace, unity, tranquillity and amity. Then on the basis of all these things, development work is going on day and night. So in this situation, the BJP is aligning with them, what for?
SBP: Also, as you said—
MS: This is very, very clear. Because the Left Front government here in Tripura is showing an alternative to the nation. And people who are in the field of struggle, class struggle or mass struggle, they have also now started voicing the slogan ‘changing leaders will not take care of the problem being faced by the common people of our country.’
People need alternative policies; pro-people policies; policies for the greater interest of the aam janata. In a small state like Tripura, without the proper help and assistance of the central government, rather who is trying to create a stumbling block against them [the people]. Have they actually implemented pro-people programmes for the greater interest of the aam janata of Tripura? If they can do so, why should this not be done at the Centre, why should this not be done in other states of the country? So that is the beacon of light for an alternative policy.
That’s why the BJP government in Tripura has created a headache for them [the people], they are passing sleepless nights. Otherwise, you have seen the prime minister, home minister, finance minister… the main hands of his cabinet, all are here. [Tripura] is not UP, it is a small state, 60 assembly seats, two parliamentary seats.
SBP: But the BJP is also looking at it [the elections] as an ideological war against the Left, isn’t it?
MS: Exactly. Programmes can’t be derived at without any ideology or political understanding. Any programme, [such as] an economic programme is derived out of your ideological understanding, political and class understanding. All these are linked up.
SBP: I want to ask you about the unemployment issue that the BJP is raising and also about the 7th Pay Commission that they are going to implement. Your comment on that?
MS: Unemployment is a national burning programme. They are posing all this as if India is free from unemployment, and the only unemployment problem is in Tripura. Is this fair? Can anybody show a single instance that this district is there in India which is free from unemployment? Not a single district. It [unemployment] is mounting like anything. At this moment in our country, the number of unemployed youth has crossed 25 crores, if not more. This is the situation.
The vacant posts, which were lying with the government of India, are more than 45 lakhs. They have vanished these things, disbanded them. They have already declared that they are not going to fill up all these vacant posts. They are not creating any new posts or going for any recruitment.
Instead of that, because of demonetisation, 98 lakh people have lost their jobs. At the same time, in the public sector undertakings, one after the other their disinvestment is going on. The private monopoly capital is gaining ground because of all these things. For profit maximisation, they are reducing the strength and number of workers and employees, minimum number of workers, maximum time of work, minimum amount of wages. They [private sector] are earning a lot of money.
Thereby, those who had a job have lost it and those who have a job are also going to lose it. From where will the other unemployed youth get jobs? Every year in our country, about two crore new job seekers are coming.
They [the BJP] promised [in the] 2014 election that every year they will generate two crore employment. By now it should have been eight crores. I think 5-10 lakh people could get jobs. What happened to their promise, their commitment? In this situation, in our small state, because industry cannot be built in the sky it needs proper infrastructure. That was not there earlier: no rail, no proper national highway, no power, no telecommunications.
SBP: But you are sending power to Bangladesh now.
MS: All these things were not there. In this situation, on the one hand, we are filling up all the vacant posts. It is normal – people are retiring, posts get vacated, so we are collecting all these things and we are regularly filling up [the posts].
Expansion is going on at the same time. We are taking up new projects – schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, districts, subdivisions, blocks, tehsil offices, roadwork, power extension, irrigation facilities, all these things. This is requiring a number of new workers. So we have to employ them, we are creating all these new posts.
But our state is small, [its] size is small, debt is not that big. So in this situation, we are not sitting idle like the central government. On the other hand, we are creating an atmosphere for the development of industries, which may take care of the problems of our unemployed youth.
When for the rail struggles… I had to go to jail three times when I was a college student. Now the rail has come. [In terms of] power, [Tripura] was a deficit state, now we have a surplus. We have started selling power to Bangladesh, 140 megawatts. More power is with us. The government of India is failing to take this power to other parts of the country, it is their job.
Telecommunications has improved a lot; the air connectivity has improved a lot. Road connectivity and road networks inside villages have improved a lot. Moreover, purchasing capacity of our people, 15 years back, yearly per capita income was on average less than Rs 15,000, now it is Rs 80,000.
It [Tripura] is small but the market is being developed. And for industrialisation, an atmosphere is also needed other than all this infrastructural development – democracy, peace and stability. Otherwise, investors will not invest money.
All these things are being developed and thereby the atmosphere has been created. Now the investors have started searching. But the point is this: recession is going on in the capitalist world. India is also grasped by this problem. Can you tell me how many new industrial units have been set up during these last four years? Though our prime minister is crying Make in India, Make in India, Make in India. Has anybody come? No, no one!
Rather, existing industrial units are closing down their shutters one after the other. In this situation, in isolation, how does a state like Tripura located in the farthest, remotest corner of the country all of a sudden have a booming industrial sector? We shall have to wait. So those who are saying [against this] are trying to actually confuse our youth but our youth are not confused. We are taking all these things to our youth.
For employment generation opportunities, the most important thing is that the purchasing capacity of the people has to keep rising. When can you set up an industry? When the investor will see that yes, this is what I am going to produce and there are purchasers [for it]. Then only they will invest.
Purchasing capacity of the people of our country is very low, 70-77% people cannot even earn Rs 25-30 in a day. They cannot afford to spend Rs 25-30. How, in this situation in our country or market, will industry develop?
The development of this purchasing capacity of the common people will depend on the policy of the government of India. Unless [it’s there] we can’t. So we are taking all these things to our youth.
That’s why if you go and see our meetings or demonstrations you will find that the main participants are youth and our mothers and sisters. A son is coming with his mother. The mother is taking her son with her. That is the different picture. What they [the BJP] are saying is just to mislead the people who are coming from outside. It appears that you are also mislead. That is why I have taken a lot of time to explain all these things to you. Thank you.
Vinod Dua reads out Tripura CM Manik Sarkar’s speech that was allegedly censored by Prasar Bharati
Vinod Dua reads out Tripura CM Manik Sarkar’s speech that was allegedly censored by Prasar Bharati and the claims made by the government on GST and demonetisation.
