Biplab resigns as Tripura CM ahead of ’23 state polls
Priyanka Deb Burman and Smriti Kak Ramachandran
AGARTALA/NEW DELHI: Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb resigned from his post on Saturday, just eight months before the state assembly elections scheduled for February 2023, and is set to be replaced by Rajya Sabha member and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manik Saha.
According to BJP leaders, Deb received a call from a senior party functionary in the morning to submit his resignation to governor Satyadeo Narain Arya. Soon after Deb announced that he was stepping down, Saha, a dental surgeon and a non-tribal like Deb, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, tendered his resignation as the state BJP chief, two years after he was named to the post.
Veteran political analyst Swapan Bhattacharya said the BJP’S move to replace Deb is likely to check anti-incumbency ahead of the assembly polls. He said, “Coming from apolitical background, the new CM has drawn no controversy or complaint against him so far. It seems that the BJP replaced the CM to stop the anti-incumbency. It will not affect anything in the state that has a 33% tribal population.”
At a hurriedly called press conference after submitting his resignation, Deb thanked the BJP central leadership for making him CM. “Being a chief minister, I tried to work for overall development of Tripura and to do justice to people here. Now, the party wants to strengthen the party organisation for the 2023 assembly polls. If there is a strong organisation, then our government will come (back to power). To keep BJP in power for long time, if a party activist, like me, works to strengthen the organisation, it will be helpful.”
The BJP legislative party met at the chief minister’s official residence and elected Saha as its new leader under supervision of central observer Bhupendra Yadav. Saha’s name was proposed by Deb, people aware of the matter said.
After the meeting, Saha said, “I was given responsibility of BJP state president. I worked... and now my name was proposed for leader of the legislative party and everyone supported. But I will continue to work as a karyakarta of the party.”
A senior BJP leader, quoting a party survey conducted last month, said Deb was found to be very unpopular, and that apart from growing dissent against him within the government and the party, there were also allegations of corruption against certain people in his office.
“On more than one occasion, legislators and other party members had complained to the central leadership about his (Deb’s) behaviour and they have been pushing for a change. The party did not want to go to polls with a divided house and spoil its chances,” a party functionary said.
However, Deb will be given responsibility by the party as it prepares for upcoming state elections, with a second party functionary stating, “The party will make use of his experience and prepare for the elections with fresh energy and zeal.”
State Trinamool Congress chief Subal Bhowmik said, “This is a victory for the people of Tripura. The people have suffered a lot in the
four years of the BJP rule. Though BJP has replaced the chief minister, people will never welcome BJP anymore.” Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pabitra Kar said, “This is an attempt to hide the failures of the Biplab Deb-led BJP government in these four years. Now people want the government to be uprooted in the coming polls.”