Tripura Election 2023: BJP's election plank includes development, tribal welfare, says CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that development, with a special focus on the overall upliftment of indigenous people, will be the BJP-IPFT coalition's main election planks in the upcoming north-eastern state's assembly election on Thursday, February 2, 2023. 

While in an interview with PTI, he further criticised the 'Greater Tipraland' demand espoused by rival Tipra Motha party floated by the scion of the former royal family of the tribal state Pradyot Manikya DebBarma and termed the demand as 'playing with tribal sentiments.'

Just nine months ahead of the assembly polls, Manik Saha, who took Biplab Kumar Deb's position as the state's new chief minister, predicted that his party would win with a comfortable majority and would form a next government on its own strength.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting for 55 seats in the 60-member Assembly, leaving five for its ally IPFT, which defections have hamstrung to Tipra Motha.

"During the election campaign, party leaders, including PM Modi to HM Amit Shah to party national president J P Nadda, will focus on the state's development before and after 2018. Whether it is about people's welfare, connectivity, or women's empowerment, the current government has done a lot for the state's overall development," he said. 

Saha claimed that the BJP-IPFT government has done exceptional work for women and that the BJP's 12 women candidates will be the most women ever fielded for Tripura Assembly elections by any party.

"We have fielded 12 candidates in the subsequent elections, an all-time high in the state's political history. Furthermore, women's participation in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) has increased significantly," Saha said.

Concerning the resentment over the nomination of party candidates in some areas, the CM said that it is understandable given the limited number of seats available compared to the number of aspirants.

"Patience is required in politics. Those who are restless do not succeed, as history has revealed. Politicians must sometimes make adjustments, just like soldiers do on the battlefield," he explained, refusing to change his party's announced list of candidates.

Additionally, Saha said that he had gained people's trust in just a few months. "People are happy everywhere I go as they have received several benefits from PMAY, such as piped water to toilets, as part of several flagship programmes. (However, I believe there is a need to do more in the area of job creation)," he said. 

While talking about the allegations by the Opposition over the law and order situation in the state, Saha said, "Over the last five years, the state's overall law and order has improved, with all types of crime including murder, rape, and abduction, declining dramatically. The NCRB reports confirmed our assessment of the law-and-order situation," he replied, adding that the claims are baseless.

The chief minister strongly opposed Tipra Motha's 'Greater Tipraland' slogan, calling it an attempt to play on tribal people's emotions.

"Political parties frequently mislead tribals with slogans like Tipraland and Greater Tipraland. It is unclear what distinguishes Greater Tiprland or its geography. Will it cross the state line or the national line? They demand a constitutional solution in writing! Who are they to ask for a written assurance for Greater Tipraland?" he asked. 

The chief minister said that those who had raised slogans against another community (Bengalis) are now attempting to regain their support by welcoming them, but this will not be successful.

"They must understand that only the Prime Minister can help them, not anyone else. When it comes to tribal welfare, our Prime Minister is extremely generous. In the last five years, five tribal leaders have been awarded the Padma Shri. This is a wonderful honour for indigenous people," he stressed.

"With the kind of people's love we saw during filing nominations, the party will undoubtedly secure a comfortable majority in the election and form the next government on its own strength," he predicted. According to Saha, the BJP would win 40 to 41 seats individually.

In the 2013 Assembly election, the BJP secured only 1.8 per cent of the vote. In 2018, the BJP received 44 per cent of the votes and won 36 seats, while its ally IPFT received 7 per cent of the vote and won 8 seats.

When asked if he would remain as chief minister after the elections, Saha said, "The party and Modiji will make the decision. If they believe I am the right man for the job, I will be chosen... I always play with a straight bat." 

Concerning unfinished commitments, Saha said that he would take up the issue of the High Power Modality Committee, which was formed to look into the socio-economic-linguistic development of the state's indigenous people as part of the BJP and IPFT's Common Minimum Programme (CMP) before the 2018 Assembly election with Delhi. The Union Home Ministry has formed a high-power modality committee, but the panel's recommendations still need to be made public.

(With inputs from PTI)

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