Tripura LoP says some BJP leaders trying to oust CM Saha, BJP rejects claims

Tripura's Leader of Opposition and CPI-M state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday claimed that a section of the leaders of the ruling BJP are attempting to oust Chief Minister Manik Saha. 

Addressing the media, Chaudhury, without taking any names, said that some ruling party leaders themselves have been trying to dislodge Saha, who first became Chief Minister on May 15, 2022, after incumbent Biplab Kumar Deb resigned from the top post following the direction of the BJP’s Central leaders.

"We so far have not raised any demand for the Chief Minister’s resignation or his premature removal. We the Left parties want the rule of law must prevail and constitutional provisions should be executed with letter and spirit," he said.

Chaudhury asserted that his party wants Saha to complete his full five-year tenure and accomplish his responsibilities to protect the constitutional rights of the people and fulfil the promises he and his party gave to the people before and after the elections.

"In various political and non-political functions and even social media posts, Manik Saha accused opposition parties of conspiring against his government. He should first introspect on his performance," he said.

The Left leader's claims came hours after two incidents - the murder of a businessman in Agartala and the death of a tribal youth at his residence after "torture" in police custody in South Tripura. "Rule of law has completely collapsed in Tripura during the BJP regime. During the past few months many innocent people were lynched by the 'goons' of the ruling BJP while more than three people died due to police torture," Chaudhury alleged.

Septuagenarian dental surgeon-turned-politician Manik Saha on March 8 last year took oath as the Chief Minister for the second time, days after the BJP-led alliance retained power in Tripura for the second straight term by winning 32 seats in the 60-memberAssembly, for which elections were held on February 16.

Rubbishing the LoP’s claim, the BJP said that Saha would complete his full five-year term.

BJP spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that the CPI-M leaders must give their attention to their own party and not poke into the affairs of the BJP.

"The CPI-M-led Left Front, after many years of governance, was ousted by the people of Tripura. The Left party could not even keep its strength in the last year’s (2023) Assembly polls in Tripura against what it secured in the 2018 assembly polls," Bhattacharjee told the media.

Arguing that the CPI-M’s dream to come to power in Tripura again would never be fulfilled, he claimed that the BJP would once again come to power in the next Assembly polls.