Agartala: Former-Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb was on Tuesday accorded a rousing reception at MBB airport Agartala on his arrival from New Delhi.
Deb, who had been nominated by the BJP as a candidate from the West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency, is the sitting Rajya Sabha member from the state. He replaced Union Minister of State Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik.
Thousands of BJP supporters gathered at the airport minutes before Deb’s flight landed. A massive motorcycle rally was taken out by the BJP supporters as a mark of celebration.
The rally ended at BJP state headquarters where party president Rajib Bhattacharjee, Party General Secretaries greeted Deb for his new assignment.
Speaking to the media persons, an emotional Deb recalled his early days in Tripura as an in-charge of the party’s state unit and said, “There was a time when BJP was a laughing stock for people. A handful of people started working together in 2015 and the family has grown so rapidly that the BJP has become the number one party in the state.
As a Chief Minister of Tripura, I have received cooperation from many people and I want to publicly admit that I was no one. People of Tripura made Biplab Kumar Deb. The fame and respect that I have gained is all because of the blessings of the people of Tripura.”
Expressing his sincere gratitude to all the voters who played an instrumental role in the formation of the first BJP government in Tripura, Deb said, “Ideological differences will always be in their place. But if someone closely monitors the voting patterns of the 2018 assembly elections, he or she will realize that a lot of voters from CPIM and Congress voted for the BJP.
Even today, I want to appeal to all the workers of CPIM and Congress to join the BJP. The government led by Prime Minister Modi can make a difference.”
Deb also thanked the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and his whole team for making all-round efforts to prioritize development over any other issue.
Speaking on the occasion, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee said that Biplab Kumar Deb’s nomination as the BJP candidate from West Tripura parliamentary constituency acted as a morale booster for the party workers.
“In the BJP National convention held in New Delhi last month, party top leaders told us to ensure a 10 percent rise in vote share compared to the previous elections. On behalf of our state unit, I have assured the party workers that in all the 3,349 organizational booths of Tripura, BJP will take massive lead,” said Bhattacharjee.
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