The ruling BJP seemed to have embarked upon a definite and decisive action plan to counter the TIPRA Motha’s increased communal overtures with the assembly elections drawing near- ostensibly keeping in its mind all the 20 ST reserved seats.
“It is now clear that the TIPRA Motha is desperate to prevent political activities of the BJP in the rural areas of the ADC and that is why they resort to attacks on our party workers off and on”, said a senior BJP leader who did not want to be named. He pointed out that some of the top TIPRA Motha leaders were also being influenced by some other leaders from the North East region in its not so hidden anti-Bengali tirades in the ST reserved seats in the grab of Greater Tipraland demand.
That the BJP was determined to counter the TIPRA Motha, which the ruling party thought the main rival in the state , considering 20 ST reserved seats out of 60 in the assembly , was evident from the recently held meeting of the Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma with central leadership in Guwahati.
The meeting was attended by BJP general secretary (Org) BL Santosh , Tripura incharge Phanindra Nath Sharma and prabhari Vinod Sonkar.
In the meeting , according to sources, Chief Minister Minister Dr. Manik Saha who is also party president and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma gave details of the present political scenario of the state.
Santosh who was well aware of the rise of Tipra Motha and in its heavy ethno-centric politics layered by anti-Bengali overtures, also reportedly felt that without losing further time before elections the TIPRA Motha should be countered in decisive manner, politically and organizationally.
If everything goes according to the plan then it is expected that before the Village Committee elections the ruling party will go for a Tipra Motha specific strategy—and that in all likelihood will start from party president J P Nadda’s rally in ADC headquarters Khumulwng.
Nadda is scheduled to visit the state on Aug 28 and 29 next.
The meeting of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in Guwahati assumed significance for the fact that Nadda will be visiting the state next week and may also give some specific instructions keeping in mind the ensuing VC and assembly elections.
The Guwahati meeting also reported to have discussed various other organizational issues relating to the BJP state unit president as the Chief Minister pressed that it would be very difficult for him to run both the administration and the party at the same time, that too before the elections.
