PM Modi in Tripura: "Throw away Manik and choose Hira"
Tripura goes to polls on February 18. As BJP wishes to wrest power in North East, it has focused all its energies in wooing the people with its star campaigners. PM Narendra Modi addressed rallies in Tripura at Sipahijala and Unakoti. Modi dished out acronyms and launched scathing attacks on the Left government, headed by CM Manik Sarkar. Here's more on what he said.
'I offer you a HIRA- Highway, I-way, Railway and Airways'
Incidentally, this is the first time that Modi is addressing rallies in Tripura since he became the PM. Using pun, Modi said that Tripura had been given the wrong "Manik" (gemstone) and instead urged them to choose a "Hira" (diamond). He used wordplay, claiming HIRA stands for Highway, I-way, Railway and Airways. He also offered Tripura three Ts: trade, tourism and training for youth.
'If Tripura doesn't develop, country's development remains lopsided'
Modi bellowed that BJP's election-cry is "Transformation through Transportation." He assured better roads/highways, rail-tracks and airports. He lauded former PM AB Vajpayee for starting the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DONER) and knowing the importance of the initiative. He claimed that Centre sends money for Tripura's development but most remains unspent. He promised to take care of different communities and preserve the culture.
'People in Tripura are oppressed and living in fear'
Modi declared that Tripura's people have been living in a "mayajaal" (illusion) for 25yrs. Slamming the Left, he claimed that in the last 25yrs, communists had taken away people's dignity and haven't benefited anyone. He asked, "Do the farmers get their fair share? Do the mazdoors get basic rights?" He said Left's Tripura doesn't have democracy because of which people are oppressed and afraid.
'Election isn't being fought by BJP but by Tripura's people'
Further, Modi raked up the Rose Valley scam, which had dented Sarkar's otherwise-clean image. The scam was a Ponzi scheme, wherein entities affiliated to the Rose Valley Real Estates and Constructions and Rose Valley Hotels and Entertainment generated thousands from crores of investors. Declaring that this was the land of Devi Tripura and Maharajas like Bir Bikram, Modi urged people to vote for BJP.
What is BJP's strategy in Tripura?
BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) is in power in North-East's five states. NEDA, formed in 2016, unites non-Congress parties there. However, there is ambiguity on whether Tripura's parties are its part. To topple the Left, BJP has brokered an opportunistic alliance with Indigenous Peoples' Front of Tripura (IPFT). This alliance is unsteady as IPFT demands a separate "Tipraland," tribal state, which BJP opposes.
So, does BJP stand a good chance of victory?
Recently, BJP broke-off its alliance with the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT) over seat-sharing. Of Tripura's 60 seats, 20 are tribal-reserved and 10 SC-reserved. Though BJP-IPFT is confident of tribal votes, their votes may be divided with INPT, which is contesting 15 tribal seats. Though Modi's speech ended amid chants of "Cholo Paltai" (let's change), BJP's future is uncertain.
