Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Left Front and the Congress for their “misrule” in Tripura, when the two parties were in power, in two back-to-back campaign rallies.
Modi was campaigning for the February 16 Assembly polls in Tripura. He urged the people of the state to vote for the ruling BJP and its ally IPFT to “secure the future” of the state and future generation.
In his over 36-minute speech at Ambassa in Dhalai district followed by his over 37-minute speech at Radhakishorepur in Gomati district, Modi repeatedly reminded the gathering of three things: the “days of fear and non-development” during the reign of the Congress and the Left Front in Tripura, the efforts of the current BJP-led government since 2018 to provide the three As — awas (home), arogya (good health) and aamdani (income) and its commitment to work for the development of the adivasi or tribal populace.
“Today’s Tripura’s identity is not violence, not backwardness. The Congress and the Left Front had pushed Tripura to the brink but the double-engine government of the BJP lifted it onto the path of development in just five years. There is peace now. A sign of peace is the flags of every party on display in this election. Earlier you used to see the flag of only one party (he did not name the Left Front). BJP has freed Tripura from fear and terror and chanda (donation culture),” Modi said while citing figures of development activities being undertaken under the BJP.
The Left Front and the Congress, once bitter rivals, have come together in Tripura for the first time to defeat the ruling BJP and “restore democracy”.
Both the ruling BJP-IPFT combine and the LF-Congress combine are contesting all 60 seats. TIPRA Motha and Trinamul are contesting 42 and 28 seats respectively but Modi did not refer to them even once at his two rallies, suggesting the BJP is looking at the LF-Congress as its key challenger. The BJP-IPFT combine assumed charge in 2018 by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front government.
TIPRA Motha has grown rapidly in the tribal areas at the cost of the IPFT. Motha rules the TTAADC since 2021. Out of the 60 seats in Tripura, 20 are reserved for tribals.
Urging the gathering to vote for the BJP-IPFT once again, Modi said everyone in the state was getting the benef it of gover nment schemes which has made life easy for the beneficiaries who have now become the “BJP’s shield from those trying to oust it”. He said the Left Front and the Congress “looted Tripura and kept its people in poverty”.
He said the BJP-led government has provided three lakh PMAY houses, “benefitting at least 10 to 12 lakh people out of the 40 lakh population of Tripura” besides providing piped water and toilets to four lakh households and cooking gas to three lakh households while saving two lakh people thanks to Ayushman Bharat Yojana and has disbursed Rs 500 crore in the account of 2.5 lakh families to boost their income.
With an eye on the tribal voters, he said this year’s Union budget has increased allocation for tribal/adivasi welfare which will also benefit the tribals. He also stressed the government’s promotion of the Kokborok, the language of the tribals. He said the work the BJP government has done for tribals is the reason why the adivasis of Gujarat voted cent per cent for the BJP in the recent Assembly elections which the ruling BJP swept.
“The Congress and the Left know only to betray the poor. But the BJP is exploring ways to help them...Each vote going to them or smaller parties will push Tripura back,” Modi said.
“They (Left and Congress) have come together for the chanda (donation), not for your welfare. You should be beware of the Left and Congress’ double-edge sword,” The Prime Minister said.
On its part, the Left Front and the Congress have said they have come together to “restore” law and order and democracy which are being “trampled” under the BJP rule. They have also made “violence under the BJP” their key poll plank. They have written to the Election Commission to ensure free, fair and violence-free polls.
