Rift Widens In Tripura BJP With Party Veterans Dev Varma, Pal Miffed
Agartala, May 15: The surprising change of Chief Minister in Tripura has left a sizable number of BJP leaders and legislators disgruntled with some claiming that there was no consultation within the party before naming Manik Saha as Biplab Deb’s successor.
While Saha was sworn in as Chief Minister on Sunday morning, he had to take the oath alone as the party could not finalise its list of ministers.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP veteran Jishnu Dev Varma, who had gone incommunicado since Saha became the leader of the legislature party on Saturday evening, surfaced for a brief while at the Raj Bhawan after the oath-taking ceremony was over. Dev Varma, accompanied by another leading dissident former Minister of Cooperation and Fire Service Ram Prasad Paul, were seen huddled with the former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and central leaders, who apparently tried to pacify them. However, Dev Varma and Paul left the Raj Bhavan after some time, seemingly disappointed.
BJP sources said the two leaders have refused to be part of Saha’s ministry. Meanwhile, Saha has convened a BJP legislature party meeting this afternoon.
Earlier, despite several attempts by party leaders as well as the security personnel, Dev Varma has remained unreachable. A group of leaders led by party state in-charge Vinod Sonkar had reportedly rushed to Dev Varma’s house around Saturday-Sunday midnight but they were not allowed to enter.
Later, police were mobilised to get his contacts but failed. On Sunday morning, BJP leaders including Sonkar and CM designate Saha made three attempts to meet Dev Varm at his residence prior to the swearing-in function, but without success.
Another group of MLAs, who have turned hostile after Saha’s elevation, met at midnight to discuss their next course of action. The MLAs assembled in the house of Paul, but none spoke to the media.
Ten months ahead of the assembly elections, the BJP got Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb to resign from the post on Saturday, and hours later, elected state party president Manik Saha, as the new leader of the legislature party which created serious resentment among the party rank and file.
BJP MLA Parimal Debbarma slammed the party leadership over its choice and questioned why there was no prior consultation. “Why were MLAs called to the meeting? Saha was made Rajya Sabha MP recently, we did not oppose that. But despite having so many MLAs, an MP has been made CM. Don’t we as MLAs have any say? You will see more leaders speak out in the coming days. This is not done,” he fumed.
Shortly after Saha’s name was announced as Deb’s successor on Saturday evening, there was a commotion at the BJP legislative party meeting in Agartala, as Paul – one of the oldest BJP men in Tripura – burst into tears.
“I will die, I will not work for such a party,” he shouted, and was also seen throwing chairs at party state in-charge Vinod Sonkar after getting furious over Saha’s selection without consulting them”.
