Top CPI-M leaders in Tripura on Wednesday strongly criticized the BJP-led Narendra Modi government, claiming that its 11-year rule has undermined democracy and favored only the wealthiest individuals in the country. Addressing a large public rally in Agartala, CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat accused the central government of systematically dismantling democratic institutions and silencing opposition voices. He pointed out that just before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, prominent opposition leaders, including then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, were arrested and jailed in what he described as an attempt to suppress political dissent.
Karat further alleged that the destruction of democracy was ingrained in the ideology of the BJP, which he claimed was working under the influence of its parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He warned that the RSS has been relentlessly pushing its agenda to establish a ‘Hindu Rashtra,’ which, according to him, is a direct threat to the secular fabric of the nation. Expressing strong opposition to the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, he stated that such a law would erode the federal structure of India and take away the democratic rights of people in different states by imposing a centralized electoral system.
Drawing attention to the situation in Tripura, Karat said that communal strife had never been a problem during the Left Front’s rule, but in recent years, incidents of communal violence have increased. He attributed this to the BJP’s divisive politics, which he claimed was creating social disharmony. He also highlighted the widening economic disparity in the country, asserting that while the wealth of millionaires had skyrocketed, the poor were becoming increasingly destitute under BJP governance.
The public gathering was organized in connection with the 24th state conference of the CPI-M, which is being held from January 29 to 31 in Tripura. Former Tripura Chief Minister and senior CPI-M leader Manik Sarkar addressed the gathering, recalling how the undemocratic activities of the Congress-led government in the state had led to its downfall, paving the way for the CPI-M-led Left Front to come to power in 1978. He recounted that in the first Left government, the CPI-M secured a massive victory, winning 56 out of 60 seats in the state Assembly.
Sarkar also claimed that a section of BJP leaders in Tripura is becoming disillusioned with the current state of affairs under their own government. According to him, many old and sincere BJP workers who contributed to building the party in the state are now being sidelined, attacked by their own party members, and receiving no protection from the government. He accused the ruling party of betraying its promises made before the 2018 Assembly elections, including the pledge to double the number of workdays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to 200 and to increase the daily wages of laborers to ₹340. Instead, he said, the state has been plagued by rampant corruption and lawlessness under BJP rule.
CPI-M Tripura State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury also spoke at the event, claiming that the state’s economy has collapsed due to the BJP government’s corrupt and autocratic policies. He asserted that while a handful of individuals close to the ruling party have amassed immense wealth, ordinary citizens continue to struggle. He called upon CPI-M workers to intensify their efforts to remove the BJP-led government from power, declaring that its days were numbered and the countdown to its ouster had begun.
The 24th state conference of the CPI-M in Tripura holds special significance as it is being held ahead of the party’s 24th Congress, scheduled to take place in Madurai from April 2 to 6. This conference marks the second major gathering of the CPI-M in Tripura since the BJP came to power in 2018. CPI-M leaders emphasized that during the conference, the party would finalize its roadmap for future strategies and programs, with a focus on exposing what they described as the BJP’s “misgovernance” and addressing pressing issues affecting the people.
The CPI-M-led Left Front had ruled Tripura for 35 years in two phases, from 1978 to 1988 and again from 1993 to 2018. However, the party suffered significant setbacks in both the 2018 and 2023 Assembly elections, with the BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance securing victory and forming the government. Despite these defeats, CPI-M leaders expressed confidence that the people of Tripura would recognize the failures of the current regime and return the Left Front to power in the future.
