Amit Shah's flight diverted to Guwahati due to thick fog in Agartala

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's flight could not land at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala on Wednesday night due to poor visibility caused by thick fog, officials said. The flight was diverted to Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport where it landed, ATC sources said.

Shah was scheduled to arrive at Agartala on Wednesday night and the next day, flag off two rath yatras in the northeastern state, where assembly polls are due early this year.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah was supposed to land at the MBB Airport on Wednesday around 10 pm but could not make it due to poor visibility caused by thick fog as reported by ATC, Agartala," Superintendent of Police (SP), West Tripura, Sankar Debnath told PTI. He said the flight, which was destined for the MBB Airport, has landed in Guwahati and he will spend the night there.

BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee said Shah will arrive at Agartala on Thursday at 11 am to flag off rath yatras from Dharmanagar in North Tripura district and Sabroom subdivision in South Tripura district.

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"The Jana Viswas Yatra will mark the party's campaign for the next assembly elections and we are happy that the Union Home Minister will flag off both the programmes," Chief Minister Manik Saha told reporters earlier in the day.

Shah will first go to Dharmanagar, where he will flag off the yatra and address a rally. He will then visit Sabroom, where he will inaugurate another rath yatra and address a public rally, Saha said.

After the Sabroom programme, Shah will return to Agartala and leave Tripura on Thursday evening, he said.

The Jana Viswas Yatra is aimed at highlighting the state government's achievements since 2018, he said.

Bhattacharjee said Jana Viswas Yatra will cross 1,000 km covering all the 60 assembly constituencies of the state.

A total of 100 rallies and roadshows will be held during the yatra which will conclude on January 12, he said, adding BJP president J P Nadda will join the rath yatra on the last day.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Kiran Rijiju and Arjun Munda, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, BJP national executive member Mithun Chakraborty and MP Locket Chatterjee will participate in the rath yatras.