Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has dismissed suggestions that the BJP’s victory in the 2023 Assembly elections was made possible by the Tipra Motha Party (TMP). He insisted that the party returned to power purely because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and leadership.
Saha’s response came two days after TTAADC chief Pura Chandra Jamatia and council member Hansajoy Tripura claimed that if TMP had contested all 42 seats in 2023, the BJP would not have secured a second term.
Addressing a party programme at Sotarmura in Sepahijala district, Saha said some political leaders were trying to undermine the BJP’s strength by crediting its win to Tipra Motha’s limited presence in the polls. Referring to the 2018 elections, when the BJP ended 25 years of Left rule, he asked, “If their claim is true, then how did we win in 2018? Where were they then? Everyone knows our victory came because of Modi’s blessings. ‘Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai’.”
Saha further accused the CPI(M) of controlling certain leaders who later shifted to regional outfits. He said the BJP government would not tolerate any criminal activities and alleged that attempts were made to disrupt the Sotarmura event by forcing local shops to close. According to him, a list of those involved in unlawful activities is being prepared.
The chief minister also recalled the violence faced by BJP workers during the 2021 TTAADC elections and assured that the government would ensure strict security measures for the upcoming polls next April.
Reaffirming the BJP’s stand on coalition politics, Saha said the party has always respected its allies. “The BJP has a long tradition of honouring partners, but it is for others to decide whether they stay or leave. The BJP is like the Ganga — one dip washes away all sins,” he added.
In Tripura, the BJP is currently in alliance with the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT)