Tripura CM says BJP’s 2023 victory due to PM Modi’s ‘blessings’, not Tipra Motha’s role

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha dismissed claims that the BJP’s return to power in the 2023 Assembly elections was enabled by the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), asserting that the mandate was secured solely because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and guidance. 

His remarks come two days after Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) chief Pura Chandra Jamatia and council member Hansajoy Tripura claimed that had the TMP fielded candidates in 42 seats during the 2023 polls, the BJP would not have secured a second consecutive term.

Speaking at a party event in Sotarmura under Sepahijala district, Saha said certain political leaders were attempting to downplay the BJP’s electoral strength by crediting the party’s victory to Tipra Motha’s limited participation. He countered this narrative by recalling the 2018 elections in which the BJP ended 25 years of Left rule. “If this was true, then how did the BJP win the 2018 state polls? Where were you during the 2018 elections? You were not seen, but the BJP defeated the communists. Our party won the elections because of the blessing of Modi. Everybody knows ‘Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai’,” he said.

Saha accused the CPI(M) of remotely influencing party cadres who later defected to regional outfits, stating that the BJP-led government would not tolerate any form of criminal activity. He alleged that attempts were made to disrupt the BJP’s programme in Sotarmura by forcing local shops to shut down and said a list of individuals involved in criminal acts was being prepared.

Reflecting on the 2021 TTAADC polls, the chief minister said BJP workers and leaders had faced violence from regional parties but assured that tight security would be ensured in the upcoming elections scheduled for April next year.

Reiterating the BJP’s commitment to coalition politics, Saha said the party has a consistent history of respecting allies. “The BJP has a long tradition of honouring its allies, but it is up to others to decide whether they wish to depart. The BJP is like the river Ganga; a dip in it removes all sins,” he remarked.

The BJP currently partners with the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) in the northeastern state.