Agartala: Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s future role in the party is apparently taking shape as he has been seen back on track over the last couple of weeks.
Biplab Deb’s role in the BJP has been all speculation ever since he resigned as the chief minister in May. While many speculated he would be suspended from the party, Deb addressed the rumours for the first time on July 26, after the party’s state unit meeting chaired by BJP National General Secretary BL Santosh, saying the public and the party would respond to malicious campaigns being run against him.
“Those who are behind these campaigns have no idea about the basics of BJP. I have firm faith in my party and the people of the state… Those involved in such activities have been shown the exit door already.”
Deb is now back to meeting senior party leaders, including Amit Shah, giving clear indication that he still has access to the BJP higher ups who are inaccessible to many others.
Sources close to Deb told EastMojo that if everything goes well, Deb’s career in BJP is set to scale new heights with specific new responsibilities.
“The BJP will never waste a leader like Deb who has built the party in state from scratch. Several people assisted him in the task but he played the anchor’s role.”
Deb’s supporters believe he is a valuable asset in view of the polls ahead despite the change of guard.
“He is set to start working with a definite role either in the organizational level or in the executive. The ball is now in the Centre’s court,” a top BJP leader said, requesting anonymity.
For the last couple weeks, Deb has travelled to Delhi often, sharing pictures with party heavyweights like BJP President JP Nadda, National General Secretary BL Santosh, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Giri Raj Singh.
Most recently, Deb met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. In a social media post, he shared that the meeting was a courtesy call and several issues right from the party’s organizational strengths and development of the state came up for discussion during the meeting.
Since the beginning of his career in politics, Deb has always been regarded as the strongest face of Tripura BJP. He single-handedly neutralized the rebellion led by former Minister Sudip Roy Barman (now in Congress).
Deb’s resignation from the CM’s post is arguably the biggest shock that the Pradesh BJP has suffered after the party came to power in 2018 after defeating the Left. Deb’s successor Dr Manik Saha has also time and again made statements on his cordial political and personal relations with Deb.
Insiders said the party has two key positions vacant and among them, one would likely be filled by Deb. By the nature of BJP’s organizational set up, one person can’t shoulder the responsibility of organization as well as the administration. Deb had to hang up boots to get Dr Saha in the saddle of state BJP after he was elected the head of the BJP legislature party. Now is the time when Dr Saha has to vacate post for someone else.
Now, if Deb would be his successor is a mystery that’ll unfold by the end of this month. “New party president was supposed to be appointed by the first week of August but that has already passed. But, something is going to happen by the end of August for sure,” senior party leaders believe.
Similarly, the lone Rajya Sabha seat is also to be filled up. Dr Saha, due to constitutional obligations, formally resigned from the post to be sworn in as the Chief Minister. Deb can come fit for that role as well. If things take shape this way, it will ultimately act as a launchpad for Deb in national politics in the form of a generation next leader with experience of handling a state for almost four years.
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