Central Observers Rush to Tripura, Holds Crucial Meeting Amid Growing Rift With TMP
Agartala Oct 29: Amid rising tensions and growing differences between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), a crucial closed-door meeting was convened at the party’s state headquarters in Agartala on Wednesday in the presence of central observers.
According to party insiders, BJP’s Northeast coordinator and national spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra, along with the party’s central observer and former Lok Sabha MP Dr. Rajdeep Roy, attended the meeting, which was also joined by ministers, MLAs, senior leaders, and key office bearers.
Patra, who represents Puri in the Lok Sabha, had reached Agartala on Tuesday with Roy and visited Gomati district, where he offered prayers at the 524-year-old Tripura Sundari Temple, one of Hinduism’s 51 sacred Shakti Peethas.
Following his temple visit, Patra held several rounds of discussions with Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee, and selected ministers and legislators late Tuesday and Wednesday.
After the meeting, CM Saha wrote on X: “Had a courtesy meeting with Hon’ble MP & Northeast Coordinator of BJP Dr. Sambit Patra at my official residence today. We discussed various key organisational issues.”
Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath posted, “Today’s meeting holds special significance in making the party organization stronger and more dynamic.”
Tourism and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury later posted on Facebook that the organisational meeting, held at the state party office, was attended by Patra, Roy, Bhattacharjee, and senior functionaries. He said the gathering focused on reviewing upcoming programmes and strengthening organisational activities.
The meeting came at a time when several recent incidents have put the BJP in a politically uncomfortable position. On October 19, the party issued a show-cause notice to its Boxanagar MLA, Tafajjal Hossain, for publicly criticising former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and former Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik. Hossain had accused both leaders of withholding funds for building a playground gallery. The party warned of disciplinary action if his explanation was unsatisfactory.
Meanwhile, controversial comments by Minister for Scheduled Castes Welfare and Animal Resource Development, Sudhangshu Das, have sparked outrage. In an interview, Das appeared to acknowledge that some leaders collect money from contractors to cover social work expenses. The video went viral, drawing condemnation from opposition parties. Das later said he felt “embarrassed beyond words” and threatened legal action against a social media influencer and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury for their remarks.
Adding to the turmoil, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pratima Bhoumik had a heated exchange with police officials near Nailahabari in Dhalai district last week after her car was stopped at a barricade. The confrontation highlighted internal rifts within the BJP and raised questions about the state’s law enforcement amid recent violence in Santirbazar.
Bhoumik later criticised the state’s law and order situation and accused police of being lenient towards TMP supporters involved in violent incidents. The uneasy alliance between the BJP and TMP has been under strain in recent months.
TMP activists have reportedly attacked BJP workers in several districts, injuring more than 20. On October 23, the TMP-backed Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), led by MLA Ranjit Debbarma, called a 24-hour statewide bandh to press for its eight-point charter of demands, which included the deportation of illegal immigrants. During the shutdown, several people, including officials, were assaulted at Santirbazar, leaving over a dozen injured.
Those hurt included Salema BDO Abhijit Majumdar, Kamalpur SDPO Samudra Debbarma, engineer Animesh Saha, and trader Subrata Paul, all of whom were hospitalised in critical condition.
With elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) due early next year, both the BJP and its ally TMP appear to be working independently to consolidate their support among tribal voters, deepening uncertainty within the ruling alliance.
