The internal squabble in BJP has taken the worst shape as chief minister and BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb started raising allegations against his MLAs in public.
Addressing a party rally in Gandacherra of Dhalai district without naming anybody, Deb said, “My action against illegal drug peddling and illicit trafficking of drug was opposed even in the abinet meeting. Two-three MLAs of the ruling formation directly or indirectly requested me to stop the crusade against drug several times”.
“Surprisingly, an MLA wanted to stop the state government’s anti-drug drive so that the drug mafias can run this illegal business. But, I don’t want commission from drug mafias; I want to make the future generation free of drug addiction,” Deb stated in the rally and added his government would never compromise with the drugs mafias.
Altogether 350 drug peddlers have been put behind the bars while 620 cases were registered under NDPS Act during the 20 month rule of BJP-IPFT government, the chief minister reminded.
“The state government has been working to make Tripura a drug-free state in the vision of central government to make entire northeast free from drug menace,” he added.
The first dissident among 36 elected MLAs was exposed when health minister Sudip Roybarman had been expelled from the cabinet for conspiring against the CM soon after the general election. In the last six months difference of MLAs and top BJP leaders with chief minister Deb had further widened, which affected the party base at ground level.
“The infighting among the party MLAs, ministers and the top leaders has made them busy to find out the survival strategy against each other. There is no co-ordination at all in the party that frustrated BJP rank and file. The supporters are openly criticizing the chief minister and his cabinet members that revamped opposition CPI (M),” said a senior party functionary of BJP.
At least 26 among the 36 MLAs who won the last assembly election with the BJP symbol came directly from Congress while three from CPI (M) and one from Trinamool Congress. They have not been able to mix up with the BJP culture. They were not even able to meet directly with the central leadership and union ministers in last 22 months of BJP-IPFT government.
As a result, frustration grips most of the leaders of state BJP including ministers and MLAs, he added.
The simmering discontent in the ruling formation in two stages – first among the BJP MLAs and second between ruling partners BJP and IPFT have affected the governance that directly impact on the public. There was no action to integrate Congress turned BJP MLAs or to strengthen the base with BJP ideology, which raised question mark on the future of the saffron party in Tripura.
