MODI ON MISSION TRIPURA

Prime Minister Modi is on an election campaigning tour of Tripura. The north east state is going to polls on 18 th of February, and BJP has sets its sight on capturing this one more citadel. Modi will be addressing two rallies over here. In the district adjoining the Dhanpur constituency of four time chief minister Manik Sarkar, Modi will raise the campaign decibel.

So far the Modi juggernaut has been going all well in the north eastern region. The party has taken control of three states; namely Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur. Now its sight are set on Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Of the three,  the battle of Tripura has already begun. The state has been under the  Communist rule since the last 25 years, and the austere chief minister Manik Sarkar has been the favourite of masses for the last two decades. No doubt, dislodging such a well entrenched party will be some task. Anti incumbency doesn't seems to be a factor here.

Congress jitters has also come to the fore. Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has said that that the  Congress’ chances of winning Tripura polls are bleak. The Congress leader claimed that the BJP is using black money to fund the election campaign.

On the other hand, the Sangh Parivar has already begun on its job of mobilizing the masses. A door to door campaign has been initiated. The focus is more on educating people about issues, than insisting on voter turnout. The voter turnout percentage is well around 90 percent.

As compared to other north east states the population is predominantly Hindu. The tribal populace is also Hindu, and the reach and penetration of Sangh is fairly good. Around 200 shakhas operate in the state with an attendance of around 10 people in each shakha.

BJP is aiming not at Hindutva issues, but development concerns will be highlighted.

Since coming to power the Modi government has aggresively pushed and pursued a look 'north-east' policy, which included infrastructural development and fund allocation for overall growth.  

Few days back, inaugurating the two-day ‘Global Investors Summit’ hosted by Assam, Modi had asserted that  India’s growth story will further pick up speed when there is an all-round development of the north-east.

Clearly, BJP will be going at the hustings with development as a plank.

The opinion polls have also been merciful to the saffron party.

Recent polls indicate that BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura will corner 31 to 37 seats while CPI (M) will  win 23 to 29 seats.

In the coming days BJP is going to step up the campaigning. Fourty senior BJP leaders', including Home Minister Rajnath Singh,  Defense Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath will be pushed in action.

Clearly, BJP is going to strain its might to seize the Red Fort of Tripura.