‘Development of tribal areas our priority’: Amit Shah seeks ‘2 lotuses’ from Tripura

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday issued a clarion call for a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging voters in Tripura to ensure “two lotuses” (symbol of Bharatiya Janata Party) from the state in this year’s general elections, referring to the two parliamentary seats in Tripura.
The two Lok Sabha seats in the state — Tripura West and Tripura East — will go to polls on April 19 and April 26, respectively.
Stating that development of the tribal areas in Tripura is a priority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shah said the budget of the tribal affairs ministry was ₹24,000 crore before 2014, while PM Modi hiked it to ₹1,25,000 crore after coming to power 10 years ago.
Shah, addressing a public gathering in Unakoti district, launched a scathing attack on the opposition CPI(M) and the Congress who are partners of the INDIA Bloc and said that both parties never allowed anyone from the tribal community to sit in a higher position, while PM Modi honoured the entire tribal community by giving India a President from the community.
“The Communists have caused disharmony among the tribal communities of Tripura. They hindered your development for their political benefits. Development of the tribal areas of Tripura is our priority. I urge you to keep faith in PM Modi and help Tripura scale new heights of development,” he said.
Slamming the CPI(M), he said that the Left kept people impoverished by depriving them of education and healthcare facilities, while the youth took up arms under the Communist regime. “PM Modi gave the youths laptops and scope of employment.”
He mentioned the tripartite agreement signed between the Centre, the Tripura government and the opposition TIPRA Motha party over many demands for tribal development.
The agreement came a year after Shah and BJP Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra’s meeting with TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore in Agartala where the home minister asked for the appointment of an interlocutor to discuss the party’s demands of Constitutional solution for the tribals.
As per the agreement, a joint working group or committee would be formed to work out and resolve all issues of the tribals, vis-a-vis their history, land and political rights, economic development, culture, identity, language, etc.
Following the agreement, the TIPRA Motha formed alliance with the BJP-IPFT government.
“We have given priority to tourism, communication, health, employment, infrastructures in Tripura. We have also given priority to the tribal areas. We are working to ensure peace and harmony in the state and the signing of the recent peace agreement is a big step. Solution to all problems of the tribals are in the agreement,” Shah said.
Tripura chief minister Manik Saha, BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee, TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, senior leaders and two Lok Sabha candidates were present in Shah’s rally.
In Tripura West, former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb is the BJP candidate against former legislator and Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha.
In Tripura East, Kriti Devi Debbarman, the ‘princess’ of the erstwhile Manikya dynasty of Tripura and elder sister of Pradyot Kishore, will contest on a BJP ticket against former CPI(M) legislator and veteran leader Rajendra Reang.