Dev, tribal welfare BJP’s poll planks: Saha

AGARTALA, FEB 2

(PTI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha Thursday said development with a special focus on the overall upliftment of indigenous people will the main poll planks of the BJP-IPFT combine in the forthcoming election to the north-eastern state’s assembly.

In an interview to PTI, he also decried the `Greater Tipraland’ demand espoused by rival Tipra Motha party floated by the scion of the former royal family of the tribal state – Pradyot Manikya DebBarma - and termed the demand as “playing with tribal sentiments”.

Saha who became the chief minister of the state replacing Biplab Kumar Deb just nine months before the crucial elections, claimed that the party will get a comfortable majority in the election and will form the next government on its own strength.

The BJP is contesting in 55 seats in the 60-member Assembly and has left five seats for its ally IPFT, which has been hamstrung by defections to Tipra Motha.

“During the electioneering, the party leaders right from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to party national president J P Nadda - all will focus on the development that the state witnessed before and after 2018. Be it people’s welfare or connectivity or women empowerment, the present government did a lot for the state’s overall development”, he told PTI.

Claiming that the BJPIPFT government has done “phenomenal work” for women, the doctor-turnedpolitician said the 12 women

BJP fields Bernard Marak against Meghalaya CM

SHILLONG, FEB 2 (PTI):

The BJP on Thursday announced Bernard N Marak, its state unit vice-president and a former militant leader, as its official candidate against Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in South Tura constituency.

The saffron party will contest all the 60 seats in the Meghalaya assembly and announced names of all its candidates on Thursday.

It had last month decided to break away from the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by Conrad Sangma and go it alone in the state election, a party spokesman said here.

Among those whose names featured in the list were BJP’s two sitting MLAs – Sanbor Shullai and A L Hek who will contest from South Shillong and Pynthorukhrah constituencies in the city, he said.

Sitting MLAs who quit other parties in the past few months and joined BJP were also accommodated in the list. Among them are H M Shangpliang, Ferlin Sangma, Benedict Marak and Samuel M Sangma who will contesting from Mawsynram, Selsella, Raksamgre