The unopposed winning of about 85 per cent three tire Panchayat seats in the recently held election in Tripura has turned into a big trouble for the ruling BJP in the Northeast state.
Reports said that the BJP leaders have picked up their preferred persons for the post of Gram Panchayat chief and deputy chief without assessing the local situation. As most of them won the election unopposed without gauging the people’s mandate, internal differences has cropped up along with mass opposition by the villagers even as the oath taking ceremony was postponed in as many as 46 panchayats in the last two days.
The scheduled swearing in ceremony of the chief and deputy chief of West Lalcherra Panchayat of Kulai under Dhalai district was postponed on August 18 following united protest by the elected members and the villagers against the selection. The villagers confined the Panchayat officer came for administering the oath till afternoon and later when BJP leaders had reached the spot the agitated villagers did not allow holding any meeting.
Police said there was tension and swearing in ceremony has been deferred for three days by the party leaders but no untoward incident was reported. According to the report, BJP party had selected Pranab Debnath for the post of chief and Tapas Mog as deputy, which people did not accept and demanded to make Mog as chief.
However, villagers alleged that a large number of anti-social and rowdies have got entered into BJP in past one year and finally during the process of membership drive all of them became members of BJP party. Now, those unscrupulous elements took the dominant position in the locality and indulging corruption with the support of a section of BJP leaders.
“We have done BJP since 1990 when hardly people knew about the party, but never come across such situation that the leaders were given target to make membership. Those opportunists don’t have any commitment towards society and had been actively involved in left politics got BJP membership taking the advantage the drive. And soon it is expected they will be the determining factor in the area,” said a veteran BJP leader of the state.
He maintained that the CPI (M) over its 25 years uninterrupted rule made its membership 18 per cent more than the total population of Tripura and finally in the election result had revealed it reverse. The local leaders and party functionaries of BJP, most of the cases became deranged, as the criminals, corrupt and anti-social elements who had been earlier with CPI (M), has got entry into BJP with their direct contact with a few top BJP leaders and ministers, he alleged.
There is no change in negotiation of government contracts, extortion by local clubs and syndicates, collection of subscription forcefully from new constructions, buildings and entrepreneurs across the state at the behest of turncoat saffron brigades despite, repeated complaints at the top level. Every day, there is fighting among the BJP factions or with IPFT supporters in Tripura by which CPI (M) and Congress have gained support.
