Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha in his whirlwind election campaign on Saturday addressed two mega election rallies in Sabroom and Belonia under South Tripura district after participating door to door campaign for BJP candidates in Agartala and described the upcoming Municipal and Nagar Panchayat elections in Tripura as a "semifinal match" ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections and urged BJP workers to put in their best efforts to secure victory.
Addressing an election rally organized by the Sabroom unit of the BJP at Melamath, the Chief Minister called upon party workers to remain alert and not fall prey to any provocation by opposition parties.
"These civic elections are a semifinal before the 2028 Assembly elections. We have to fight with all our strength. There should be no complacency. Our target is to make the opposition zero in the upcoming Municipal and Nagar Panchayat elections," he said.
Dr Saha also launched a sharp attack on the CPI (M), alleging that giving an opportunity to the Left party would bring back incidents of violence, vote manipulation and deprivation of people's rights. He claimed that several people were killed during the previous Left Front regime in South Tripura district.
The Chief Minister highlighted the development initiatives of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state, saying that the country was progressing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership with the vision of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas".
Focusing on women's empowerment, Dr Saha said the Narendra Modi government had made significant progress in improving the socio-economic status of women through initiatives related to education, self-reliance, employment opportunities and security.
Addressing women voters in the backdrop of the civic elections, he said empowering women and ensuring their participation in economic and social activities remained among the government's top priorities. He also mentioned various steps taken to increase women's participation in employment and highlighted provisions for reservation for women in jobs.
On development, the Chief Minister Dr Saha said the government's objective was not limited to urban areas or any particular section of society but to ensure that benefits of development schemes reached people from all sections, including marginalized communities.
Dr Saha also assured that the government was committed to strengthening the state's overall development and improving women's safety. He claimed that the law and order situation in Tripura was satisfactory and said plans were underway to increase the number of women police stations in the state.
"Women should be able to pursue education, employment and social activities without fear. Necessary administrative measures will be taken to ensure their safety," he said.
Expressing confidence about the BJP's prospects in the upcoming elections to Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) and 21 other Municipal bodies and Nagar Panchayats, the Chief Minister said people would support the party for continuing the development process.
He claimed that a peaceful and fair election environment existed in Tripura and appealed to people not to be misled by what he termed opposition propaganda against the BJP government.
The rallies in Sabroom and Belonia were also significant as it marked the first time that people of the town witnessed a Chief Minister participating in an election rally covering different municipal wards.
BJP leaders present at the meeting included MLA of Sabroom-Manubazar constituency Mailafru Mog, MLA of Santirbazar constituency Pramod Reang and South Tripura Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Dipak Dutta.
The Chief Minister's focus on women's empowerment, safety, employment and development added a new dimension to the BJP's civic election campaign, while the impact of these promises among voters will be reflected in the election results.