BJP central leadership to hold meeting in Guwahati to discuss parliamentary poll

Agartala: The BJP central leadership will hold a meeting with party presidents and in-charges of the NE states, West Bengal and Jharkhand in Guwahati to prepare a roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, its Tripura unit president Rajib Bhattacharjee said on Wednesday.

BJP general secretary (organization) B L Santosh will preside over the meeting, he told reporters here.

“The BJP central leadership will hold a meeting with party state presidents and in-charges of the northeastern states, West Bengal and Jharkhand in Guwahati on Thursday. The main agenda of the meeting is to prepare a roadmap for Parliamentary elections due next year,” he said.

Exuding confidence that the saffron party will win both the parliamentary seats in Tripura, Bhattacharjee said “We will discuss how to fight the elections and to increase the vote share in the northeastern states. Organisational matters will also come up for discussion in the meeting”.

To a question on Tipra Motha's core demand of greater Tipraland in Tripura, he said each party has its own mission and agenda. “We have heard slogans of independent Tripura, Tipraland and greater Tipraland. But BJP believes in 'sabka saath sabka vikas' and 'viswas'. Our stand point is development and all round growth for the people.” He claimed that it was BJP which had sent a proposal to the Centre to increase seats of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) from 28 to 50 for development of tribal council areas.

Asked whether the party supported direct funding to TTADC, Bhattacharjee said, “BJP wants development of the district council areas and its people. It never backtracks when it comes to development. The government has provided Rs 30 crore to set up a hospital at Khumulwng, the headquarters of TTAADC.” Earlier in the day, ten leaders of the Congress, Trinamool Congress and CPI(M)-backed trade union CITU joined the saffron party.

The newcomers include former Congress leader Prasthanta Bhattacharjee and former Trinamool Congress state president Asish Lal Singha, who is also the son of state's first chief minister Sachindra Lal Singha. They were welcomed by Bhattacharjee and state Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.