In the Northeast, after Manipur, the dissension in the Tripura Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has increased the BJP leadership’s concerns about the region. There are BJP governments in both the states. The central leadership has called former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb to Delhi and held discussions with him. Deb has raised questions about the government and the organization, but the biggest issue is that of outside interference. This has also raised questions about the functioning of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
The BJP has proved its grassroots strength by regaining power in Tripura in the assembly elections held earlier this year. However, there has been a big drop in its vote share and many seats in tribal areas have gone out of its hands. Prior to this, the BJP had made a change of leadership in the state last year from the electoral point of view and made Manik Saha the Chief Minister in place of Biplab Deb. Along with bringing Viplav into national politics, Rajya Sabha MP was also made.
Now it has become clear from Biplab Deb openly giving advice to the government and the organization and being vocal about outside interference that everything is not right in the state. He is also upset with the leaders and workers close to former state president and chief minister Deb not being given priority in the state. According to sources, Deb’s displeasure is also due to the intervention of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Biswa Sarma being the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) looks after the entire North East. He is also the chief strategist of the BJP. Now the BJP leaders of many states are not liking his interference.
According to sources, the resentment within the party in Manipur and Assam may spread to other states as well. To handle the situation there, even the existing central organizations have not been able to leave their effective mark. Complaints keep coming about them too. It may be known that in Assam, the BJP made Sarbananda Sonowal, who was the Chief Minister there, a minister at the Center by not making him the Chief Minister again, but this was not done with Deb. He is also uncomfortable with this.
Significantly, in the past years, the BJP had achieved a major political achievement by ousting the Congress from power in all the states of the Northeast. Along with this, it has also formed the NEDA, separate from the NDA, which includes parties with governments in all the states of the Northeast, regardless of whether the BJP has a stake in it or not.
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