With the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections approaching, the Tripura unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday intensified its organisational preparations through a review meeting in Agartala, focusing on election strategy, internal coordination and candidate selection. Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, meanwhile, issued a strong message against political violence, asserting that the BJP would not tolerate any such incidents.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee, party in-charge Mrigananka Debbarma, general secretaries Chandan Debnath, Bipin Debbarma and Bhagaban Das, along with other senior party leaders.
The discussions primarily centred on strengthening the party organisation at the grassroots level, reviewing election preparedness and ensuring better coordination among leaders and workers ahead of the civic polls.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister Saha said a detailed discussion would be held on various organisational issues. He also highlighted the presence of party in-charge Mrigananka Debbarma, who has been entrusted with facilitating coordination among the state leadership.
Commenting on the alleged attack on BJP workers by a Congress worker at Khayerpur, on the outskirts of Agartala, late Saturday evening, the Chief Minister said he had received information about the incident and would examine the matter further.
“If such an incident has indeed taken place, it is certainly a matter of concern and needs to be properly investigated. We will not tolerate such incidents. The law will take its own course,” he said.
Referring to another reported incident in Kamalpur of Dhalai district, Saha maintained that violence and attempts to create unrest were unacceptable and said he would seek further information before arriving at any conclusion.
The Chief Minister also sought to underline the BJP's position on maintaining a peaceful electoral environment. He claimed that party workers had been clearly instructed not to obstruct opposition candidates or their supporters from submitting nomination papers.
“Allegations are often levelled against us by the Opposition. However, we have instructed our karyakartas not to interfere with anyone or prevent candidates from filing their nominations,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP state president and MLA Abhishek Debroy termed the gathering a routine organisational review meeting ahead of the ULB elections. He said the party leadership discussed organisational activities and the preparations required to ensure effective participation in the upcoming polls.
On the question of candidate selection, Debroy indicated that the list had already been prepared and was likely to be taken up for discussion. However, the final announcement will depend on consultations with the BJP's central leadership.
He said that as a national party, the BJP follows an established procedure for candidate selection, and the names would be officially declared only after obtaining the necessary approval from the central leadership in New Delhi.
With the civic elections drawing closer, the BJP leadership appears focused on consolidating its organisational machinery, maintaining coordination among alliance partners and finalising its electoral strategy ahead of the crucial local-level contest.
