State president Manik Saha keeps his job as BJP reshuffles Tripura leadership

The new vice-presidents include MP Rebati Tripura and Uttara Debbarma, a national executive member of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha, and Amit Rakshit, a state leader.

The new panel has also got three general secretaries and five secretaries, several of whom are new faces. The panel of spokespersons has three new names—Agartala Deputy Mayor Manika Das (Dutta), Kartik Jamatia and Ashmita Banik.

Earlier this year, a group of 15 BJP leaders including a minister reportedly wrote to Saha accusing him of having become the state president at the behest of the central leadership despite being relatively inexperienced, and sought his resignation in the party’s “larger interests”.

Against the backdrop of the BJP’s defeats in the Tripura tribal council elections last year, the letter had also accused Saha of being unable to protect the party’s interests. A party floated only a few months before the polls had routed the saffron party in the polls.

Chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said the reshuffle was done as part of a regular organisational procedure to strengthen the party. He also said that those dropped from the previous committee were merely reserved for other responsibilities. On the leaders who had demanded the state chief’s resignation, Chakraborty said the reshuffle was not meant to give any message to them.