BJP will retain power: Tripura deputy CM

Tripura deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma on Sunday said the BJP would retain power in the north-eastern state after the next assembly election scheduled for 2023.

Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day conference on the power sector of Kolkata, Varma said there was hardly any dominant opposition in the state. “The CPI-M has become a coffee house party and its existence is limited to such forums, while the Trinamool Congress could hardly make any mark,” Varma told ET.

“The BJP is confident of coming to power again in the coming assembly polls as it is an organised party and works hard for development. We take elections very seriously and will achieve victory depending on our political strength,” Varma said. “We have won three seats out of four in the recently concluded by-polls in Tripura,” he noted.

Chief minister Manik Saha was one of the three BJP candidates who won the by-poll. The fourth seat went to the Congress.

The conference in Kolkata, Empowering Energizing East – E3, was organised by the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers Association.

“We have taken up major electrification projects to ensure last-mile delivery of power to remote regions,” said Varma, who is also the state’s power minister. “The Tripura government and other north-eastern states are investing in the power sector to increase capacity generation and distribution to earn revenues. Tripura exported 160 MW of power to Bangladesh last year. We are supplying Bhutan and power is the main source of revenue for us," he said.

The north-eastern state face big challenges over geographical conditions and forest clearances. “Establishing 24x7 dependable power supply remains a challenge which we are tackling by creating new benchmarks,” Varma added.