Macabre remark by the BJP ideologue.
Even after its historic victory it appears that the BJP and Left are unlikely to put aside their well-known hostility. While the toppling of Lenin’s statue had been widely criticised, relationships between the two parties appeared to be on the mend when the BJP invited former CM Manik Sarkar to attend Biplab Deb’s oath-taking ceremony.
Bipab Deb even touched his predecessor’s feet and said: “My gesture of touching Manik Sarkar's feet during the swearing-in function was because I respect our tradition and we need the experience of a veteran leader like him to run the show in Tripura.”
However, Sunil Deodhar, the man many praised for BJP’s impressive performance in Tripura, had a more macabre remark to rile his opponents.
Deodhar warned Biplab to get all ‘septic tanks of minister quarters cleaned’, claiming that a woman’s skeleton was found in the septic tank of ex-CM Manik Sarkar in 2005.
He wrote on Twitter: “I request @BjpBiplab, new CM of Tripura, to get septic tanks of all minister quarters cleaned before occupying them. It should be recollected that a woman’s skeleton was found in septic tank of Ex CM Manik Sarkar's quarter on Jan 4, 2005 but the case was deliberately suppressed.”
Deodhar had been hailed as the 'Man of the Match' in BJP's spectacular victory in Tripura. Deodhar was born and raised in Maharashtra before making his way to the northeastern state.
"The spectacular performance of the BJP in Tripura is because of the performances of the union ministries and because of the PM Modi's passion for the region. The BJP's wins in the Northeast is a result of the work that PM Modi has been putting in, and of the pioneering work of Atal Behari Vajpayee," Deodhar told DNA after the party's victory.
"I have always been sure of winning 40 seats, given the input from the party workers. And if we look closely at the results, then the BJP would have easily won 8 more seats," he added.
Deodhar joined the RSS in 1985 and in 1991 was posted as a pracharak in Meghalaya.
Forty-eight-year-old Biplab Kumar Deb had staked claim before the governor on March 6 to form the government.
A long-time RSS volunteer, he has been largely credited for the BJP's turnaround in the state.
The deputy chief minister is yet to be elected as an MLA as polling in his Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) constituency was postponed due to the death of the CPI(M) candidate. The election to the seat is scheduled to be held on March 12.
The seven other ministers, five from the BJP and two from the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura(IPFT), a BJP ally, included its chief N C Debburman.
Ratan Lal Nath, Sudip Roy Burman, Pranajit Singha Roy, Manoj Kanti Deb and the lone woman in the government Santana Chakma are from the saffron party.
Apart from N C Debburman, IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatiya was the other minister from his party.
In his address after the swearing-in ceremony, the prime minister assured the new BJP government of providing full support for the all-round development of Tripura, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress.
Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development.
"I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of the people. I want to assure Tripura that in its march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation under the motto of cooperative federalism," he said.
The prime minister said that the state government will take along every citizen and all sections of the society and work for the development of the state.
Modi said the motto of the government would be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were present at the swearing-in ceremony, besides Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand).
Outgoing Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar was also attended the function.
Giant posters bearing images of Modi and Shah dominated the landscape in Agartala.
From the airport to the venue, BJP flags lined up both sides of the street, as party workers wearing saffron celebrated in the streets. Security was tightened in the capital city as the prime minister and many other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
"A 100-ft-long stage was erected for the big function. This is a big day for us as it marks a political transition for the state. The victory has been made possible by the development work of Modiji that has inspired our workers in Tripura to work for a change," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told PTI here.
The alliance had won the Assembly elections with a two-thirds majority in the 60-member House. The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight of the 59 seats that went to polls
With inputs from PTI
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sunil Deodhar")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}