Tripura Will Show BJP The Door "For Unkept Promises": Left's Manik Sarkar

A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Tripura to launch a BJP programme, where he asserted that the party would win the upcoming assembly polls, Leader of Opposition Manik Sarkar said people would show saffron camp the door "for not fulfilling any promise".

Mr Sarkar, who was addressing a party programme at Rabindra Bhavan, also hit out at the BJP-led regime in the state for failing to implement the seventh pay commission.

"The gentleman from Assam extensively campaigned for the BJP in 2018 Assembly elections. He had promised 50,000 jobs in the first year if the BJP is voted to power. The leader also gave assurance that the seventh pay commission will be implemented in the first meeting of the new cabinet.

"But the question is did they (BJP leaders) fulfill any promise?" the CPI(M) leader said.

Mr Sarma, who kicked off the saffron camp's 'Booth Bijoy Abhiyan' (campaign to win booths) on Monday, claimed that the BJP government in Tripura has done "more than what it promised in the poll manifesto".

He asserted that his party would bag 55 of the 60 seats in the northeastern state.

Mocking the ruling dispensation over their promise fulfillment claims, the CPI(M) leader also said that "anger among state government employees and retrenched teachers speak otherwise".

Over 10,323 teachers lost jobs after the Tripura high court deemed their appointments illegal in 2014.

"The gentleman (Mr Sarma) said if promises are not implemented, he will not show his face in Tripura any more. The fact is that he shall be driven out of the state if he arrives again.

"Forget about implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission, employees are yet to get 35-36 per cent of dearness allowance... Since elections are approaching, the government may try to release five to seven per cent DA to defuse anger among the employees. If that prompts you (people) to vote for the party again, be prepared to get cheated again, too," he maintained.

Mr Sarkar contended that around 20,000 government employees have retired from service in the past four-and-a-half years, "but steps have not been taken to fulfill all vacancies".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)