No dissent in party, says Tripura BJP Chief amid reports of TMC reaching out to rebel MLAs

Agartala, June 18: Tripura BJP president Manik Saha on Friday scotched speculation of dissidence within the party, following a two-day organisational meeting here, and said all leaders have vowed to unite and work for the benefit of the saffron camp.

He also said differences, if any, will be sorted out through discussions. Speculation was rife that some BJP MLAs are planning to quit the camp and join the TMC, after the Mamata Banerjee-led party's landslide victory in neighbouring West Bengal.

According to sources in the saffron camp, TMC leaders from Bengal, in a bid to strengthen their party in Tripura ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, were reaching out to rebels within the BJP. Saha, however, said his "party men, in the presence of BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh and Tripura in-charge Phanindranath Sharma, have vowed to stay united. It was a fruitful meeting. Differences, if any, will be sorted out through talks and discussions".

A group of six MLAs, led by former Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman, had met BJP's national president J P Nadda last year and expressed grievances over the governance delivered in the state. Two MLAs, Ashish Kumar Saha and Ramprasad Paul, both considered close to Barman, had later said that the central leadership asked them to make preparations for 2023 hustings.

Slamming the TMC for "letting loose a reign of terror" in Bengal, BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said, "People of this state are politically conscious. They know how our karyakartas have suffered in the neighbouring state. Voters here will never support that."

The TMC, on its part, said new activists have been joining the party ever since it stormed to power in Bengal earlier this year. Asish Lal Sinha, the state unit president of the TMC, however, clarified that he "doesn't know of any BJP MLA expressing interest to join the party".