Agartala, April 04, 2026: Tripura’s Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Saturday asserted that the people of Dharmanagar would reject Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Indian National Congress in the upcoming by-election, claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking votes solely on the basis of development.

Addressing two election rallies in support of BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborty for the by-election in Dharmanagar Assembly constituency, Nath launched a sharp attack on the opposition parties, questioning the basis on which CPI(M) and Congress were seeking public support.

“The BJP is asking for votes on the basis of development. But on what basis are CPI(M) and Congress seeking votes? The people will reject them,” he said.

The minister alleged that both CPI(M) and Congress had failed to deliver development during their years in power, while Tripura had entered a new phase of growth under BJP rule.

Highlighting welfare measures undertaken by the state government, Nath said social pensions had been increased and infrastructure development had accelerated significantly. Referring to Dharmanagar, he said that earlier paved roads were scarce in the area, but substantial changes had taken place during the tenure of former BJP MLA Biswabandhu Sen.

“He developed this region considerably. The remaining work will be completed by our candidate Jahar Chakraborty and the BJP,” Nath said.

Listing development indicators, the minister said the length of National Highways in the state had increased from 199 km to 903 km. He added that more than 16 lakh Ayushman Bharat cards had been distributed and over 5.83 lakh families were covered under the Chief Minister’s health insurance scheme.

He also said that India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had become the world’s fourth-largest economy and was on track to become the third-largest soon.

“There was a time when India imported rice; today India exports rice. This transformation has been possible under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,” Nath said.

Emphasising farmer welfare, he said both the Centre and the state government were implementing measures to strengthen the economy and improve rural livelihoods.

The minister also referred to BJP’s organisational growth, saying the party had become the world’s largest political organisation within 46 years, with over 14 crore members.

Calling the by-election significant, Nath said it was necessitated by the sudden demise of Biswabandhu Sen, whose contribution to Dharmanagar’s development remained notable.

He claimed that while CPI(M) ruled Tripura for 35 years and Congress for 10 years, the development achieved during the BJP’s seven-and-a-half years in office was unmatched.

Concluding his address, Nath asserted that voters in Dharmanagar would once again support BJP in favour of continued development.