5 min readAgartalaMar 6, 2024 07:42 AM IST
First published on: Mar 5, 2024 at 09:17 PM IST
Former Tripura chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb, who was announced the BJP’s Lok Sabha election candidate from West Tripura Parliamentary constituency three days ago, on Tuesday returned to the state and said the saffron party would fight the poll based on the sole issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his guarantee.
Speaking to reporters at the BJP state headquarters in Agartala, Deb said, “Modi has the solution to the development of Tripura. I see Modiji from up close. You have chosen Modiji twice. The entire country has decided to choose Modiji for a third term”.
Stating that India is now known by Prime Minister Modi’s name, Deb said polls would happen, but nobody needs to prove anything to show that people are waiting to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third consecutive term. “You go to the booths, just tell people Modiji has given pranam. It will be sufficient,” said Deb.
While Deb was nominated as the party’s candidate for the West Tripura Parliamentary constituency, the party has not yet clarified its stand on the East Tripura ST-reserved Lok Sabha constituency.
Tripura’s prime opposition TIPRA Motha party, which recently signed a tripartite agreement with the central and state governments on issues faced by tribals of Tripura, is considered a major power to reckon with among the tribal electors.
Asked whether the BJP would contest in the East Tripura seat or if there are any other prospects in sight, Deb said, “The Parliamentary board meeting will finalise the rest of the candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Whoever will be nominated will be chosen for making Modiji victorious.”
He also said he would attend an organisational meeting in Agartala on Tuesday and then return to New Delhi, where he would attend a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board on March 8. The party is expected to finalise the rest of its candidates at this meeting.
Deb was also learnt to be overseeing electoral preparations at Haryana, where he was appointed as the party in-charge after he was unceremoniously dropped from the Tripura Chief Minister’s Office in 2022.
Deb attacked the Opposition INDIA alliance, saying, “The INDIA alliance is an alliance of some families. This alliance has neither eyes nor ears. Modiji, on the other hand, announced from the Red Fort that 140 crore people in the country are his family. I am confident that the BJP will form a single majority government for a third term this time.”
About the ongoing farmers’ movement going towards Delhi, Deb, who is overseeing BJP’s organisational activities in Haryana, said some agitating farmers are “sitting on the Punjab border”, but farmers from Haryana didn’t join the agitation.
Deb referred to farmers as “annadata,” but said, “I don’t want to comment on their agitation.”
Appealing to people to support him in the Lok Sabha elections, Biplab Kumar Deb said, “When I came here in 2015, I had a small team without any MLA or big leaders. I was lucky that people of the state blessed me and voted in our favour. I have come here again and I will never forget the people of Tripura. I hope that the people of the state will vote for me again.”
Stating that Congress and Communist party supporters had voted for him in the 2018 state assembly elections, which catapulted BJP to power despite never having won any seat in the state before that, Deb said, “I hope that the people of the state will again vote for me. I might have made some mistakes earlier but never conspired to do anything. I hope the people of this state will stand with me once again. If you like Biplab, choose me. I am still a Rajya Sabha MP. I do what I can but as Lok Sabha MP, I can go directly to people and there is greater scope. I don’t want anything from anyone, can’t give anything as well.”
Reacting to his comments on the INDIA alliance, All India Mahila Congress president Alaka Lamba who is currently touring the state, said, “Biplab Debji should speak on inflation, Manipur violence, crimes on women and why your MLAs, MPs ministers are getting involved with rapes, molestations and crimes on women. I know he can’t speak on this. Farmers want MSP, youths want jobs, youths are being fooled in the name of Agnipath. But they can’t fool people anymore.”
On Biplab Deb’s comments that farmers from Haryana didn’t join the ongoing farmer’s agitation, the Congress leader said the Haryana High Court commented that tear gas shells are fired on farmers, not terrorists and said the BJP doesn’t accept farmers, youths, women, and that’s why they make false statements. “These lies will cost them a lot,” she said.
Stating that India is now known by Prime Minister Modi's name, Deb said polls would happen, but nobody needs to prove anything to show that people are waiting to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third consecutive term. (Photo/X/@BjpBiplab) 
Share
