In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put the election for the Tripura state president on hold, just hours after announcing the schedule. The party had previously declared that the election would take place on June 29, with the results also being announced on the same day.
According to the initial schedule, the election notification and publication of the State Electoral College list were to occur on June 27. Nomination papers were to be submitted on June 28, followed by scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations on the same day. The final list of contesting candidates was also scheduled to be released on June 28. If required, polling would have been conducted on June 29, with the counting of votes and declaration of results to follow.
However, the BJP withdrew the poll notification shortly after its issuance, without providing a clear explanation. While the party has not officially stated the reason for the postponement, sources suggest that it may be due to the unavailability of Union Tribal Welfare Minister Jual Oram, who was appointed as the election officer for Tripura. Other sources indicate that the state president election was stalled due to the inconvenience of the party's North East coordinator Sambit Patra.
Several names have been circulating as potential contenders for the position of Tripura BJP President, including Minister Tinku Roy, MLA Bhagaban Chandra Das, Pradesh General Secretary, MLA Kishor Barman, and Amit Rakshit. The current president, Rajib Bhattacharjee, also a Rajya Sabha MP, had assumed the role on August 25, 2022, replacing Manik Saha, who became Chief Minister in 2020.
The BJP's decision to postpone the election has stirred speculation and drawn attention from political circles, as the party aims to strengthen its organizational structure in Tripura. This election is considered a crucial step for the Tripura BJP as it prepares to consolidate its organizational machinery ahead of upcoming political challenges. The appointment of the new state president would have concluded the three-layer organizational elections of the BJP in Tripura, following the appointment of Mandal and District presidents.
The postponement raises questions about the internal dynamics within the Tripura BJP and the factors influencing the party's decision-making process. While the official reason cited is the unavailability of key leaders, it is possible that other underlying issues or strategic considerations may have contributed to the last-minute change of plans. Some reports indicate possible differences between the Chief Minister and national leadership as a potential reason for the postponement.