As Workers Raise ‘Biplab Hatao, BJP Bachao’ Slogans Against CM, Top Brass Downplays Party ‘Differences’

Resentment against Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb among BJP workers seemed visible as slogans against the party leader were raised on Sunday. “Biplab Hatao, BJP Bachao (Remove Biplab Deb, save BJP)” slogans were reportedly raised even though BJP’s national secretary and its central observer for Tripura Vinod Kumar Sonkar rebuffed apprehensions of “differences” within the party.

Sonkar was interacting with party leaders at the state Guest House when the crowd gathered around the place and raised slogans against the chief minister, the NDTV reported. The Deb-led BJP-IPFT alliance government in Tripura has been facing opposition from within the party over the ‘lack of management’.

The discontent against Deb has been brewing within the party for some time now. Earlier in October, dissident MLAs of BJP in Tripura met the party’s national president JP Nadda and expressed their grievances about the alleged “bad governance” in the state. A group of four MLAs representing the dissidents also informed him of the state’s political and organisational situation.

Deb has particularly faced opposition from Sudip Roy Barman, who has criticised the chief minister on several occasions. Barman was removed as the health minister in June. He is considered the leader of the dissident group.

The group had called for Deb’s resignation calling him dictatorial, inexperienced and unpopular.