The BJP ministers and MLAs in Tripura rushed to the residence of chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday evening to express their faith in him.
The party legislators met chief minister Deb after the party’s national president JP Nadda asked Deb to cancel the public meeting, he convened on December 13 in Agartala, to let the public decide his fate as CM.
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The BJP MLAs and ministers, however, tried to hide the agenda of the meeting.
The meeting in the chief minister’s residence lasted for more than one-and-half hours.
Someone said they came to talk about organizational issues while some others said they came to consult with the chief minister about the development works.
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Also read: BJP chief JP Nadda asks Biplab Deb to cancel meeting and continue as chief minister
One of the MLAs said they came to give the message that they are with the chief minister.
A few of the party MLAs, after coming out of the chief minister’s residence, said it was just a courtesy meeting.
BJP MLA Ratan Chakraborty said it was a courtesy call and the chief minister offered them tea and snacks.
BJP MLAs like Pinaki Das Choudhury, Rampada Jamatia, Parimal Debbarma, Bhagaban Das did not say anything about the meeting.
Also read: Choose or reject me as Tripura Chief Minister on December 13: Biplab Deb
Minister Pranjit Singha Roy said he came to discuss with the CM about some issues and nothing more than that.
Law minister Ratan Lal Nath said he came to meet the CM to discuss different matters but did not want to reveal anything about the meeting.
Sports minister Manoj Kanti Deb said a total of 24 MLAs including ministers attended the meeting and they came to say that they are with the CM.
A section of BJP functionaries launched a ‘Biplab Hatao, BJP Bachao’ (Expel Biplab, Save BJP) campaign before BJP’s newly-appointed in-charge of Tripura in Agartala on Sunday last.
Saddened by the campaign, Biplab Kumar Deb while calling a press conference at the State Secretariate on Wednesday sought for a ‘people’s mandate’ whether he should continue as the chief minister of Tripura on Sunday next.
After that, a group of MLAs and ministers went to the CM’s residence to convey their support to the CM.
But MLAs like Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Kumar Saha, Asish Das, Susanta Choudhury and Ram Prasad Paul refrained from attending the meeting on Wednesday and they have been labeled as dissidents.