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BJP’s replacement of Tripura CM with eye on 2023 polls

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After Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka, the BJP has changed its Chief Minister in Tripura, months ahead of the Assembly polls in the Northeastern state, with a view on electoral calculations and gains.

The election to the 60-member Tripura Assembly is due in January-February 2023.

Though the script was written in Delhi, the real drama was played in Agartala to overcome the anti-incumbency factor at least eight to nine months ahead of the crucial Assembly polls, which is expected to be multi-cornered between the CPI-M, the Congress, new entrant Trinamool Congress (TMC), besides the ruling BJP.

A year after the BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) government assumed charge on March 9, 2018, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front, Tripura has witnessed waves of revolt by dissident BJP MLAs led by Sudip Roy Barman against Biplab Kumar Deb, who also subsequently announced to obtain a people’s mandate by calling a public meeting.

His move was later cancelled following the intervention of the Central BJP leadership.

Amid open resentment by a section of the ruling BJP MLAs and leaders in Tripura, the Cabinet expansion took place on August 31, 2021, by inducting three ministers even as the dissident MLAs and BJP leaders boycotted that swearing-in-ceremony.

The dissidence in May 2019 was sparked off after the State Health and Family Welfare and the Information Technology Minister Roy Barman was sacked following differences with Deb.

Sudip Roy Barman, six other MLAs and many leaders had quit the Congress in 2016 to join the TMC and next year (2017) they joined the BJP and helped it win the Assembly elections in 2018.

However, then, Sudip Roy Barman and Ashis Kumar Saha, who resigned from the state Assembly and the BJP on February 7, 2022, rejoined the Congress in New Delhi on February 8.

Earlier, BJP MLA Ashish Das, after openly criticising the saffron party and its leadership, including Deb, joined the TMC on October 31, 2021, following which he was disqualified from the state Assembly.

Following the tumult, several senior Central BJP leaders on a number of occasions visited Tripura to quell the internal dispute and plug the shortcomings, both in the government and the party organisation.

Political Commentator and Editor of Tripura’s leading English daily “North East Colors”, Sanjib Deb said that it is clear and loud that though removed from the post of Chief Minister, Biplab Kumar Deb is not going to be dumped, rather the steering is going to remain with him.

“After submitting the resignation, Deb told the media that he is going to remain with the party organisation. What is most important is that in the meeting of the BJP Legislature Party on Saturday, Biplab Kumar Deb had proposed the name of Manik Saha while the Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma seconded it,” he said.

He said when Biplab Kumar Deb became the Chief Minister, there were talks in Tripura that the government is the BJP’s, Council of Ministers are from Congress (as most Ministers are from the party) and administration is of the CPI-M (as the officials were recruited during the 25 years of Left Front government).

Political analyst and writer Sekhar Datta said the change of Chief Ministership in Tripura was long overdue.

“BJP has taken the decision to avoid the anti-incumbency issues eight to nine months before the crucial Assembly elections. The BJP retained power in Assam (2021) and Manipur (2022) in the Assembly polls. So retaining power in Tripura in the 2023 polls is a vital issue for the saffron party to keep its aim ‘Congress Mukt Northeast region’.”

Local print and electronic media mostly welcomed the BJP’s decision and criticised Deb’s style of functioning.

Editor of Tripura’s leading vernacular daily ‘Syandan Patrika’, Subal Kumar Dey said he had written in April 2020 about “Deb’s autocratic governance”.

“Only due to Deb’s dictatorial style of work and undemocratic mindset, three BJP MLAs were forced to leave the party weakening the organisation and the government,” Dey.

BJP sources said Biplab Kumar Deb will be Tripura BJP President as the incumbent Manik Saha had to quit the post on becoming the Chief Minister.

RSS loyalist Deb became the state BJP President in January 2016, a year after he returned to the state after spending many years outside it.

Business

Maharashtra on path to becoming GCC hub: CM Fadnavis

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Nagpur, Dec 12: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that a crucial milestone has been achieved in the journey to establish Maharashtra as a GCC (Global Capability Centre) Hub.

He said that the Brookfield company is set to build Asia’s largest Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Mumbai, spanning approximately 2 million square feet.

The Chief Minister said that this project is expected to generate a total of 45,000 jobs, including 15,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs.

He stated that due to the state’s talent pool, infrastructure, and industry-friendly environment, Maharashtra is becoming a preferred destination for Global Capability Centres.

“The new GCC policy will lead to large-scale skill-based job creation and economic growth,” he added.

He also mentioned that FedEx, a global leader in the logistics sector, is keen to invest in its GCC and other operations near the Mumbai-Navi Mumbai airport area, said the government release.

The Chief Minister informed that he requested Microsoft to consider Maharashtra for their investments, noting that their largest existing investment is already in the state.

He expressed confidence that Microsoft will make a major investment in the future and take the lead in making Maharashtra an Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre.

The Chief Minister said that Maharashtra’s model for crime control with the help of Artificial Intelligence is a guiding light for the entire country.

Chief Minister Fadnavis confirmed that Microsoft has assured priority to Maharashtra in their largest ever investment in India, amounting to $17 billion.

He further highlighted the ‘Marble’ platform developed by Maharashtra, which helps detect cyber and financial crimes in just 24 hours instead of 3-4 months.

He said that this has resulted in saving people’s money and has expedited the process of tracking criminals.

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Crime

Bihar: Robbers posing as police steal goats purchased under CM’s scheme

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Patna, Dec 12: A shocking incident has emerged from Samastipur’s Vidyapati police station area, where four men posing as police personnel stole goats purchased under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Women’s Employment Scheme.

The incident occurred on Friday in Dhaneshwarpur South Panchayat, Ward No. 9, when the victim, Champa Devi and her family were asleep.

Suddenly, a four-wheeler pulled up outside their home, and the men inside woke the family.

Claiming they were police officials searching for a liquor mafia suspect, the men forcibly entered the premises.

Inside, they took away four goats that Champa Devi had bought using the Rs 10,000 financial assistance she received under the Women’s Employment Scheme.

When she tried to stop them, the accused reportedly brandished a pistol, abused her, and threatened to kill her.

“They said they were police and that a liquor mafia had passed that way. They showed a pistol and told us to move aside. Fearing for our lives, we stepped back. They loaded all four goats into their vehicle and fled,” said Champa Devi.

The same group allegedly targeted another house nearby, stealing three more goats.

According to the victims, they too had purchased the goats with government assistance.

Before the villagers could understand what was happening, the thieves fled in their vehicle with all seven goats.

Locals have demanded strict police action. However, Vidyapati police said they are awaiting a formal complaint to begin proceedings.

“A report of theft has been received, but no application has been filed yet. Action will be taken as soon as we receive it. The gang involved is being investigated,” said Suraj Kumar, Police Officer, Vidyapati Police Station.

The area has witnessed several such goat thefts in the past. Thieves often arrive in four-wheelers—not on motorcycles or on foot—making quick escapes difficult to track.

In an earlier incident a few years ago, villagers even held a DSP hostage after mistaking him for a goat thief.

Under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Women’s Employment Scheme, women are provided Rs 10,000 each to start income-generating activities.

So far, 1.56 lakh women have received the amount. After six months of evaluation, beneficiaries showing positive outcomes become eligible for Rs 2 lakh in additional support to expand their ventures.

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Maharashtra

Lack of general civic amenities in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, rehabilitation should be done after civic amenities are provided to the victims of Dharavi Rehabilitation Project: Abu Asim

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Abu Asim Azmi opposed the development of more waste management for waste disposal in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, in the winter session of Nagpur and said that Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a slum area. There is already a dumping ground here. There is also a waste management company, which is causing a lot of problems to the citizens. Pollution has increased due to waste disposal. The air here is toxic. On the one hand, a dumping ground is being shifted from Malind and a golf course is being built, and on the other hand, the residents of the slums of Dharavi are being rehabilitated here. There is a lack of civic amenities in Govindi. Until schools, colleges, grounds and religious places, mosques, temples and other places of worship are built, no one should be rehabilitated here. Along with this, the dumping ground and other waste management companies should be removed from here. There is already a waste management company here. Now more such companies are destroying human life. It should be banned immediately, this demand was made by Azmi.

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