AGARTALA: With the 2023 assembly elections just a year ahead, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday reviewed the overall situation of the state through a direct interaction meeting with all the legislators and party functionaries at the CM’s residence.
The MLAs, party leaders briefed the Chief Minister about the party’s present situation on the ground and also raised the impediments that are needed to be looked after at the earliest. According to sources, the meeting is still continuing at his residence and MLAs from West Tripura District are presenting the report card of their performance.
Interestingly, IPFT General Secretary and Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia did not attend the programme. However, MLAs like Prem Kumar Reang and Dhananjoy Tripura remained present.
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Speaking to the media persons, late on Sunday night, the Chief Minister said, “the meeting has been convened to ascertain the overall situation. A number of issues related to the party and the functioning of the government came up for discussion. The budget is coming so we have discussed the crucial points and exchanged views with the MLAs and the party office bearers “.
On by-polls, Deb said, “the by-polls would be conducted in time. Those who don’t do their work in time, they get lost in history.”
Earlier, Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said, “the meeting was about the development activities carried out under each of the constituencies. The Chief Minister took note of all the development works done in the last four years and also got aware of the crucial projects that are halted due to some reasons.”
Chief Whip of the treasury bench in Tripura Assembly Kalyani Roy also echoed the same and said that after this government came to power, a number of issues pending for years had been addressed.
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On being asked whether the resignation of two BJP MLAs cast any shadow of crisis on the state BJP, she said, “there is nothing like that. I don’t feel the BJP will get affected by this in any way. The main motive of the meeting was development-oriented and we are doing our best to ensure public welfare”.
Sources said the main reason behind the meeting is to strike coordination between the party and the government.
“In several places, we have seen, a conflict between elected representatives and party functionaries in the rural areas emerged as a common scenario in various parts of the state. At this point of time, the party can’t afford to let things go out of its hands and hence the CM himself intervened”, sources further added.
Some sources privy to what transpired in the meeting said a section of MLAs are annoyed with the way this government is functioning. “A lot of olive branches would be extended to ensure that the undercurrent of resentment could be doused. The MLAs from the ruling alliance have spoken their points and also made some suggestions to improve the performance of the party as well as the government”, said sources.
It is also worthy to be mentioned here that the rift in the ruling BJP bare out in the open after a total of 15 BJP leaders including minister Ram Prasad Paul wrote a letter to state BJP President Dr Manik Saha to step down. Earlier, two BJP MLAs recently severed ties with the saffron camp to join Congress. Although the ruling party has kept its stand clear that things are okay in the party, sources said, speedy redressal of the disgruntlement among a section of leaders is the need of the hour.