Four central functionaries of the BJP arrived here on Monday in what is said to be a final push to end disgruntlement in the party. They would stay for a week to hold a wide range of discussions with organisation rank and file and MLAs before sending recommendations to the party top leadership for specific changes.
The team of leaders, including national general secretaries Ajay Jamwal and Dilip Saikia, Northeast in charge Phanindranath Sarma and Tripura State ‘prabhari’ (observer) Vinod Kumar Sonkar will also consult party ranks to seek opinion on expansion of the Council of Ministers. Four new Ministers are expected to make an entry into the Cabinet.
Ministry expansion
“A Ministry expansion is on the cards. The reshuffle will take place very soon”, Mr. Sonkar told newspersons at the airport. He, however, ruled out the possibility of replacing State BJP president Dr. Manik Saha as reported by a section of the media.
The leaders began their hectic schedules by holding a closed-door meeting of the core team at the party office here. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarman, Union Minister of State and west Tripura MP Pratima Bhoumik, east Tripura MP Rebati Tripura, Dr. Saha and a few selected leaders attended it.
Later in the evening, they attended an expanded meeting with all Ministers and party MLAs. BJP spokespersons claimed all MLAs, including Sudip Roy Barman, who is leading the dissident camp, joined the meeting.
The central leaders would even hold one to one discussion with State leaders and MLAs to sort out and settle differences once for all to make the party prepare to contest Assembly elections due in early 2023.
