As BJP readies to hold the swearing-in ceremony in Tripura on Wednesday, which will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it, Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik's name is doing the rounds as a strong contender for the top post.
If chosen for the job, Bhoumik, the current union minister of state for social justice and empowerment, will be the first woman CM in the entire Northeast. She will also be the lone woman among BJP chief ministers.
Bhoumik won the Dhanpur seat which she wrested from the CPM-led Left front. The Dhanpur was earlier held by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar till March 2023. Sarkar had stayed out of the fray this year.
But Bhoumik herself has refused to confirm the speculations. "I am a dedicated party worker, and it is only because of the party that I am sitting in front of you. I contested the elections under the party’s instructions, and the party is my mother. So, one shouldn’t be speculating anything. I will do whatever the party will say," she told ANI.
The Union Minister lavished praise on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that the party has taken the benefits to the people, under PM Modi’s Double Engine government.
"We have delivered on every front whether it is electricity, water, roads, colleges or sustainable lives for women. PM Modi had promised that we will do even more development than what we did in the first five years, and people believed him," Bhoumik added.
The BJP too is yet to confirm Bhoumik's selection for the post. According to Tripura BJP chief Rajib Bhattacharjee, the decision will be taken in the legislative party meeting. "Wait for 1-2 days during which we will make a decision. There is no dearth of leaders in BJP and we have worked as a team in this poll," he added.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and CPI-M leader Manik Sarkar, has alleged that the elections were converted to a "farce".
Stating that the results of Tripura Assembly polls were "unexpected," Sarkar said: "It is unexpected as the government's performance was zero, democracy was attacked and the electorate's right to exercise franchise freely was snatched away. The polls were converted to a farce, and the Constitution didn't work."
He further alleged that several factors helped BJP in dividing the anti-BJP vote. "The result is something different. One thing is clear, 60 per cent of the electorate didn't vote for BJP. The anti-BJP vote got divided. Several things happened. People have started saying who helped BJP to come to power again. It is very clear, but I don't like to mention any party's name," he added.
