BJP Puts Tripura State President Election On Hold: What May Have Caused Last-Minute U-Turn?

Last Updated:June 28, 2025, 11:25 IST

BJP's Central Election Authority had issued a notification on Friday, setting the stage for the organisational elections. However, within hours, the notice was quietly withdrawn

BJP’s plan to announce its new state president for Tripura on 29 June 2025 has been abruptly put on hold. (Representative/News18 Hindi)

In a surprising turn of events, the BJP’s plan to announce its new state president for Tripura on 29 June 2025 has been abruptly put on hold. The party’s Central Election Authority had earlier on Friday issued a notification setting the stage for the much-awaited organisational elections, which had been pending for months. However, within hours, the notice was quietly withdrawn, citing a postponement of the election.

Sources within the BJP told CNN-News18 that the last-minute reversal stemmed from a lack of consensus between the central leadership and the state unit, led by Chief Minister Manik Saha, over the choice of candidate.

According to insider accounts, the central leadership had proposed Bhagaban Das for the role. A veteran with RSS roots and previous experience in both party and government positions, Das was expected to bring stability. However, Chief Minister Saha reportedly objected strongly to this nomination, citing serious allegations involving a close family member of Das, which rendered the choice politically untenable.

Meanwhile, CM Saha is said to have pushed for names such as Tinku Roy, a former minister, and Nabendu Bhattacharjee. But sources in Delhi maintain that neither of these candidates commands widespread acceptance within the party’s central leadership.

“The Chief Minister is making this a matter of prestige, insisting on his preferred candidates despite their limited influence within the broader party structure in Tripura," a senior party leader told CNN-News18. “He may eventually agree to a compromise candidate, but the current stand-off is a challenge."

Another name that had surfaced in early discussions was Pratima Bhoumik, former Union Minister and past state president. However, her chances are reportedly slim this time. Sources indicate that certain controversies involving her family members have effectively sidelined her from serious contention.

The leadership vacuum was created after the elevation of Rajib Bhattacharjee—the outgoing state president—to the Rajya Sabha. Now, the BJP is struggling to find a successor acceptable to both the state unit and the central high command.

The impasse comes at a time when the BJP is looking to solidify its position in Tripura ahead of future electoral challenges. The party had made history in 2018 by ending the 25-year Left rule in the state, installing Biplab Deb as Chief Minister. Since then, Tripura has remained a critical component of the BJP’s Northeast strategy.

The current deadlock underscores the complex power dynamics playing out in the state, a reflection of both growing internal tensions and the evolving political landscape in one of the BJP’s hard-won bastions.

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News politics BJP Puts Tripura State President Election On Hold: What May Have Caused Last-Minute U-Turn?