Politics
BJP’s replacement of Tripura CM with eye on 2023 polls
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.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Municipal Corporation Elections 2025-26: Final voter lists with voter photographs available for sale at the Central Election Office

Mumbai: State Election Commission, Maharashtra has announced a revised schedule for publication of polling station wise voter lists in connection with the Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025-26. The order states that the complete municipality wise voter list shall be published as soon as it is completed. Accordingly, Mumbai Municipal Corporation has received polling station wise voter lists of 226 out of 227 wards from the State Election Commission today, January 6, 2026. The said lists along with polling station wise voter photographs are available for sale at the concerned Central Election Offices from Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The Municipal Administration appeals to the citizens/political parties to purchase these voter lists from the concerned Central Election Offices.
Mumbai Press Exclusive News
If Uddhav Thackeray is elected unopposed then everything is fine, if someone else is elected then it is wrong: Deepak Kesarkar

Mumbai: During the municipal elections, the leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray group are constantly trying to spread chaos. Sometimes they are spreading wrong information and sometimes they are doing politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Former Shiv Sena minister and MLA Deepak Kesarkar expressed his strong displeasure and reacted strongly to this irresponsible statement of the UBT. In a press conference held in Mumbai, Deepak Kesarkar said that the UBT leaders are busy defaming Maharashtra. They do not have any development plan, hence they are constantly making misleading and unnecessary statements. Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC was also present at the press conference.
Deepak Kesarkar questioned the UBT leaders and said that if Uddhav Thackeray can be elected unopposed, why not other candidates? It is wrong to repeatedly question the election process. The Election Commission works with complete transparency and under this transparency, all the candidates were elected unopposed. UBT has no development agenda, while Mahayoti is moving forward with development issues, which is why people have faith in Mahayoti.
Reacting strongly to Sanjay Raut’s statements, Deepak Kesarkar said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belongs not only to Maharashtra but to the entire country. The kind of politics Sanjay Raut is playing in the name of a great personality shows that his health is still not good. He should re-evaluate himself so that he can stop making such absurd statements.
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Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC targeted UBT and said that in the last 25 years, Mumbai has been full of potholes. However, now Shiv Sena central leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has pledged to make Mumbai pothole-free. The work has started, and by 2027, all the roads of Mumbai will be pothole-free.
He added that a detailed blueprint for Mumbai was prepared in an important meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Under this blueprint, several important decisions related to roads and transportation have been taken, which will provide significant relief to the people of Mumbai.
Maharashtra
Mumbai municipal elections: A series of rebellions among political parties

Mumbai: Ahead of the Mumbai municipal elections, the migration of disgruntled party leaders to other parties has begun. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has suffered a major setback before the municipal elections. Several MNS leaders have joined Shiv Sena Shinde Sena. Along with this, Santosh Dhuri, a close associate of Raj Thackeray, joined the BJP. Even after this, the party change is not stopping and many senior MNS leaders have joined Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde and raised the flag of rebellion against the party. Before the BMC elections in Mumbai, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray had formed an electoral alliance, but the rebel leaders of these parties are still separating from the party, due to which there is a long series of rebellions in both the parties. Many leaders, unhappy with not getting tickets, are leaving their party and joining other parties. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena General Secretary Raja Bhau Chogle, MNS spokesperson Hemant Kamble, MNS Chhatrapati Sena General Secretary Rahul Topalonde, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Sandesh Shetty, Munawar Sheikh, Ashish Mark, Prathamesh Banerjee, Santosh Yadav joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On this occasion, Shinde welcomed all of them into the party and wished them well for their future. On this occasion, Shiv Sena General Secretary Rahul Shivale, Shiv Sena Secretary Sushant Shelar, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mahatre and all local office bearers and workers of Shiv Sena were present.
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