Tripura CM's public meeting cancelled: Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb's program scheduled on December 13 in Agartala stands canceled, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma told the media on Thursday.

This comes days after Deb 'invited' the people of the state to take a call on his chief ministerial chair at a public meeting on December 13 at the Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala

"If people don't support me, I will inform the party high command," the CM had said.

A crucial meeting of BJP MLAs and Ministers was held in Deb's residence on Wednesday evening.

The move has come in the wake of dissidents within the BJP demanding his removal as Chief Minister.

The meeting took place for more than two hours in the presence of 22 out of the total 36 BJP MLAs.

Other than all the Ministers, the MLAs including Krishnadahan Das, Dr Dilip Kumar Das, Ratan Chakraborty, Surajit Datta, Rampada Jamatia, Biplab Kumar Ghosh, Arun Chandra Bhowmik and Speaker Rebati Mohan Das were present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, most MLAs present in the meeting hinted at the cancellation of the referendum supposed to be held next Sunday and for testing the popularity of the CM depending on which he shall continue or step down.

Earlier, ruling BJP-IPFT government Minister as well as Opposition CPIM and Congress suggested a floor test for the Chief Minister in the Assembly and not in a public meeting as the Indian Constitution did not have any such provision.

Speaking to the Revenue Minister of Tripura NC Debbarma, who also is the president of the ruling BJP alliance IPFT, said that there was a Cabinet Meeting on Tuesday but there was no agenda or discussion regarding the people's confidence test of the Chief Minister during an open public meeting.

Debbarma viewed that the council of ministers knew nothing about what the CM had said during the press briefing and was his own individual expression.

"The appropriate forum for a confidence test is the floor of the state Assembly during a special or common session. If some dissident MLAs or BJP supporters raised slogans regarding the removal of Biplab Kumar Deb in presence of the BJP state in-charge, that is totally an internal party matter of the BJP which should not affect the government of the state because it is a coalition government," he said.

Debbarma added, "This is not the right way to proclaim the action plan of confidence or no confidence on the CM."

Meanwhile, both the Opposition CPIM senior leader and former Deputy Speaker Pabitra Kar and Tripura Pradesh Congress president Pijush Kanti Biswas, also echoed the sentiment, saying that if the chief wanted proof for his majority, he should go for a floor test in the Assembly and not through a public meeting.

( With inputs from ANI )