GUWAHATI: Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday invited people of the state to a public ground in Agratala on Sunday to give their mandate once again whether he should remain at the top post or quit amid growing voices for his ouster within BJP in the state.
“The government is by the people and it’s you who have made me an MLA and the chief minister. I will never forget you. I want to hear it from you what you want me to do at the Astabal Grounds on Sunday. You tell me whether I should stay or quit. I will abide by your verdict and then present it before the party high command and tell them that this what the people of Tripura want,” said Deb in an emotional appeal to the people before the media.
Deb made the appeal two days after some party workers shouted slogans like “Biplab hatao, Tripura bachao” when the party’s central observer, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, arrived in the state on Sunday last. Sonkar later claimed that all is well in the state’s ruling party.
“I don’t know what a handful of people are shouting is the wish of the people of Tripura. If the people of the state on Sunday say they do not want me to quit, then it is the people who will decide the fate of the handful of the voices who want me to go and I will respect the verdict of the people,” Deb said, adding that he was pained by the sloganeering against him.
Deb, a former gym instructor in New Delhi who shot to fame by leading the BJP in its historic victory by unseating the Left from one of its last remaining bastions in the 2018 election and became the chief minister, has recently found himself in the midst of a rebellion against him.
In October, a group of dissident MLAs led by former health minister Sudip Roy Barman visited New Delhi and met president JP Nadda. The party sent its observer, Sonkar, to the state as things refused to calm down in Tripura.
Deb said, “I want to work for everyone, irrespective of religion, caste, colour or any other identity. My only passion is to turn Tripura into the best state of the country. He claimed that since BJP came to power, Tripura has shown the fastest growth rate among all NE states.”
He further added, “People have put their faith in Narendra Modi, BJP and me. We have been working on a host of development activities, including infrastructure development with Rs 11,000 crore project under NHIDCL, new airport, agricultural growth. I want to work more.”