New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended warm greetings to Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on his birthday, praising his efforts to accelerate the state’s progress and improve the lives of youth.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the Prime Minister said, “Greetings to Tripura CM Dr. Manik Saha Ji on his birthday. He is undertaking notable efforts to boost Tripura’s progress and to improve the lives of the state’s youth. Praying for his long and healthy life in service of the people."
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also conveyed her wishes to the Tripura Chief Minister on the occasion.
In her message on ‘X’, she wrote, “Birthday greetings to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr. Manik Saha Ji. Under your leadership, Tripura is moving ahead on a path of stability, development, and people-centric governance. May the blessings of Maa Tripura Sundari continue to guide your dedicated service to the people of the state. Wishing you good health and continued success in public life."
Before rising to prominence as Tripura’s first maxillofacial surgeon, Manik Saha was widely known in Agartala as the son of Makhan Lal Saha. His father was a well-known entrepreneur who built the city’s first deluxe movie theatre in the 1970s. The Saha family, which migrated from Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district, was involved in a range of business ventures across Tripura and Kolkata.
Unlike his brothers, Dr Saha chose not to join the family business. Instead, he pursued a career in medicine, earning his degree from a dental college in Patna and completing his postgraduation in Lucknow. His professional journey earned him respect in medical circles long before he entered public life.
Dr Saha’s political journey initially began with the Congress, though he was not actively involved in the party’s organisational activities or programmes. As a result, he is not considered a typical Congress turncoat, unlike many others who later joined the BJP in Tripura.
His political ambitions took shape in 2016, when the BJP’s top leadership intensified efforts to uproot the CPI(M)-led Left Front government that had ruled Tripura for more than two decades. Dr Saha was among the early Congress leaders and members to join the BJP that year, contributing to the party’s mission to bring an end to prolonged communist rule in the state.
Soon after joining the BJP, he was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising ‘prishta pramukhs’, booth-level workers who engage directly with voters. During this period, he worked closely with then state observer Sunil Deodhar and developed a strong association with former BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb, who later became Chief Minister following the party’s historic victory in the 2018 Assembly elections.
In 2020, when Deb was asked to step down as the state BJP president, he reportedly recommended Dr Saha as his successor. The party’s central leadership accepted the proposal. Although Dr Saha assumed the position, Deb continued to wield significant influence within the party, and he chose to avoid confrontation or confusion. This approach worked in his favour, as the BJP nominated him for Tripura’s lone Rajya Sabha seat in 2022.
On May 14, 2022, the BJP unexpectedly asked Deb to resign and sent central observers to Agartala to oversee the selection of Dr Saha as the new leader of the legislature party. Dr Saha was sworn in as Chief Minister the very next day. While Deb was later accommodated with a Rajya Sabha berth, the party did not publicly clarify the reasons behind his removal from the top post.
Having never contested a general election or held a government position before becoming Chief Minister, Dr Saha initially faced several challenges, particularly due to Deb’s lingering influence within the administration. However, his calm demeanour and measured approach helped him navigate these issues and gradually improve the party’s image.
In the nine months leading up to the February Assembly elections, Dr Saha focused on implementing key schemes and programmes aimed at addressing public concerns. His efforts paid off when the BJP, along with its ally the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, secured 33 seats in the 60-member Assembly -- two more than the majority mark -- enabling Dr Saha, now 70, to begin his second term as Chief Minister.
--IANS
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