The demand, as reported by the media, was to remove Biplab from the chief minister’s post. Their plan didn’t succeed — as the party high command refused to change the chief minister of the state. Although the plan of these disgruntled MLAs didn’t pay off, they didn’t abandon their discontent against Biplab.

The party high command too realised that the situation within Tripura, the erstwhile bastion of the CPI(M) led Left Front, isn’t giving good signals and it appointed Vinod Sonkar, without any further delay, as the party’s central observer of the state. The post was lying vacant for a long time after Sunil Deodhar, credited for strengthening BJP’s organisation and spectacular saffron victory in the state, was moved to Andhra Pradesh. It was during Sonkar’s first visit as the party central observer to the state, some BJP workers, who are believed to be the followers of the disgruntled BJP MLAs, in front of him raised slogans to remove Biplab Deb.

This incident clearly suggests that sloganeering in front of Sonkar was a planned attempt to send a message to the party high command by the disgruntled camp that the fire of rebellion against Biplab is still burning. It appears that the anti-Biplab camp within the party was just waiting for this moment to fire their planned shot.

If this wasn’t enough to reveal openly the internal rebellion within the party, it was the chief minister’s dramatic statement seeking referendum from the people that removed all the veils. Biplab, being irritated with the rising discontent against him within the party, announced a rally on December 13 in Agartala’s Astabal maidan where the people of the state would decide whether he should remain in the post of chief minister.

CM’s outburst was more about emotions. After all, such referendums are unheard in the country. If the CM doesn’t have the required numbers to run the state, he has to face the assembly — where the opposition will bring the no-confidence motion against his own government. On the other hand, if the matter is an internal one, it is better to resolve within the party forum. Surely, this was an internal party matter. So, Biplab should have raised this issue within the party itself. But he didn't.

There would be no such referendum — as the national party president JP Nadda and Vinod Sonkar have interfered and prevented Biplab to do so. But this episode not only openly exposed the internal tussle of the ruling party but also exposed the fragility of the chief minister to handle such internal rebellions. According to some reports, even the party high command isn’t satisfied with this dramatic referendum statement announced by Biplab.

Amid all of this drama within the ruling party, the dispensation is already facing condemnations from opposition CPI(M) and Congress and even from its own ally IPFT for deferring the elections for the second time in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and extending the governor's rule for another six months. Along with that, the government also postponed the urban body polls to be held this year — the excuse for deferring the polls is, obviously, the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is surprising given that there have been guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India how to conduct elections during the pandemic. Not to forget in Bihar, one of the most populous states, the assembly elections were conducted in time during this pandemic. Just like the TTAADC, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) of Assam too was under governor’s rule for six months after its term expired in April. But, the governor rule wasn’t extended for the second time and elections for BTC were conducted.

This clearly shows that the BJP government of Tripura, unlike the BJP government of Assam, isn’t keen to hold elections right now. It is obvious that a government facing internal fighting would hesitate to face elections. But this hesitation weakens democracy and this is, definitely, a major failure of the government.

Although majority of BJP MLAs reached CM’s house to pacify and back him, the MLAs belonging to the disgruntled camp didn’t join them. Truth is that the fire of rebellion within the ruling party isn’t dying anytime soon — and this fire, unfortunately, is also harming the democracy of the state. In order to douse the fire, chief minister Biplab Deb, instead of only depending on the BJP's central leadership, has to himself step in and start engaging with all the MLAs, including the disgruntled MLAs. The chief minister has to prove that he values democracy and this is, no doubt, a challenge before him. (IPA Service)