In a political development in North Tripura district, a Congress-elected panchayat member along with 12 voters formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, strengthening the ruling party’s presence in the region.
The joining programme was held at Baghan Gram Panchayat under the Kadamtala–Kurti Assembly constituency. Shahabuddin, an elected member from Ward No. 4 representing the Indian National Congress, switched allegiance to the BJP along with his family members and relatives, taking the total number of new entrants to 13.
The event took place at Shahabuddin’s residence in Baghan village in the presence of Kadamtala–Kurti Mandal president Bimal Purkayastha and other local BJP leaders, including Azmal Hossain and Shyamal Deb. The new members were welcomed into the party fold with party flags and greetings from senior leaders.
Addressing the gathering, Purkayastha said the defections reflected growing public support for the BJP’s policies and governance. He attributed the shift to what he described as the “development initiatives” undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha. He further claimed that more opposition supporters were likely to join the ruling party in the coming days.
Baghan was once regarded as a Congress stronghold in the area. However, the BJP had secured control of the gram panchayat during the last three-tier panchayat elections. With the latest inductions, party leaders asserted that the BJP has further consolidated its organisational base and strengthened its grip over the local body.
The development is being viewed as another instance of shifting political alignments at the grassroots level in the state.
