BJP appoints Mahendra Singh as election in charge for poll-bound Tripura

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday appointed Mahendra Singh as the election in-charge for the poll-bound Tripura. Mahendra Singh is a former minister in Yogi Adityanath`s government in Uttar Pradesh. "BJP National President JP Nadda has appointed Dr Mahendra Singh, MLC Uttar Pradesh as the party`s election in-charge and Samir Oraon MP Rajya Sabha as co-incharge for upcoming legislative elections in Tripura," the BJP said in a tweet.

Besides, the party has also appointed Rajya Sabha BJP ST Morcha incharge Samir Oraon as the co-incharge for the Tripura elections. The government`s decision was welcomed by former Tripura CM Biplab Deb, who was recently elected as Rajya Sabha MP tweeted and exhibited confidence to register a "massive victory" in the state. "Together we will form the party`s government again in the state by giving a massive victory.

The double engine government of BJP under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji has done historic work in taking Tripura forward in the sense of development," Biplab Deb tweeted.

BJP national coordinator for the north-east states Sambit Patra congratulated Dr Mahendra Singh and Samir Oraon as well as extended best wishes for their appointments.

In a significant setback to BJP, an MLA from their ally Indigenous People`s Front of Tripura (IPFT) submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Ratan Chakraborty a few days ago.

The assembly elections to the State of Tripura are likely to take place in the first quarter of 2023. BJP with its ally Indigenous People`s Front of Tripura (IPFT) came to power in Tripura in 2018 ending 25-year-long Left rule in the northeastern state.

Out of the 60 Assembly seats in 2018, the BJP managed to secure a majority of 36 and its ally IPFT got 8. With the recent resignations, the IPFT has a total of six MLAs.

The BJP is facing new challenges as new entrants in the form of Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and Tripura Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance (TIPRA) Motha, a regional party whose supremo is Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma is also likely to fight 35 seats on its own in the upcoming 2023 Assembly polls.

The demand for a separate state for indigenous Tripuris (also known as Tiprasas or Tipras) is also at the centre stage for the Pradyot-led party.