BJP old timers react sharply to rumours about Biplab Deb’s appointment to the post of party president

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 12, 2022

The BJP old timers who once rooted for ouster of Biplab Kumar Deb from the post of chief minister have reacted sharply to swirling rumours about his appointment to the post of state party president, describing the supposed step as ‘suicidal’ for BJP. Ever since his unceremonious ouster from the post of chief minister in May this year Biplab Kumar Deb has been moving from door to door of central leaders including party’s national president J.P.Nadda to retain his relevance in state BJP as well as to grab the all-important post of state president so that he can manipulate the process of nominating candidates for the next assembly election for ultimately grabbing the post of chief minister again. He has already launched parallel programmes of mass contact in different parts of the state creating confusion in the party rank and file to the discomfiture of the incumbent chief minister Dr Manik Saha. In a recent meeting with a band of faithful media-persons who have a vested interest in continuance of Biplab Deb as leading light in the party, Deb is stated to have said that he has been assured by central leaders that he will be posted as state president and given nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

But this has evoked sharp reaction from BJP old timers, specially the former state president Ranajay Deb who posted a long comment on the issue yesterday in his ‘Facebook’ account, warning the party’s central leadership against any such step. “If a person who has been so unceremoniously removed from the post of the state’s highest executive is installed at the top of the party organization, it will be a suicidal step for the party . This man is hopping from door to door of top leaders in the national capital with the plea that he be appointed to the top post again ; if the central leadership accept this plea, it will be suicidal and nothing short of suicide for BJP. I hope the version put out by the media shall remain confined in the media and the party will arrive at an appropriate decision after careful consideration,keeping in mind the welfare of the people and the party as top priority. At the moment CBI and ED are carrying out investigations against many people and leaders and if change comes in Tripura many Partha Chatterjees and Arpita Mookherjees will be seen here without a shred of doubt. Hence it is an imperative that the party proceeds carefully in the matter with deep thought ; I am just sounding a note of warning, leaving the rest to the top party leadership at the national level’ said Ranajay Deb in his longish comment. This has set the political grapevine afire with speculation and supposed course of events in Tripura BJP.