Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday, 26 May called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, congratulating him on completing 12 years of governance and on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) recent victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The meeting also served as a platform for wide-ranging discussions on Tripura's development agenda and organisational priorities.

Key Discussions at the Meeting

Chief Minister Saha said that the talks with the Prime Minister covered strategies for economic development, ensuring good governance, and strengthening the party organisation at the grassroots level across Tripura. 'Detailed discussions took place with him on various important matters regarding Tripura's overall development and organisational aspects,' Saha said in a series of posts on his X and Facebook accounts.

CM Saha on the Bengal Election Victory

The Chief Minister extended formal congratulations to the Prime Minister for what he described as a 'historic and resounding victory' in the West Bengal polls. He said the outcome reflected 'the people's unwavering faith in his visionary leadership and people-centric politics.' The BJP's win in West Bengal, a state long dominated by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), marks a significant political shift in eastern India.

Photo Frame of Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Presented

In a symbolic gesture, Chief Minister Saha presented Prime Minister Modi with a photo frame of the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple and its redeveloped premises. The 524-year-old temple in Udaipur, Tripura, built in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India and the third such shrine in eastern India, after the Kalighat Kali temple in Kolkata and the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.

PRASHAD Scheme and Temple Redevelopment

The temple was redeveloped at a total cost of more than ₹54 crore under the Union Tourism Ministry's PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme. The Centre contributed ₹34.43 crore while the Tripura government provided ₹17.61 crore. Prime Minister Modi had inaugurated the redeveloped temple on 22 September last year, offering prayers at the Kali temple during the same visit. According to a senior Tourism Department official, the redevelopment has significantly boosted footfall from devotees and tourists across the country.

Historical Context

Tripura's integration into the Indian Union came on 15 October 1949, when the erstwhile princely state merged following an agreement signed between Kanchan Prabha Devi, the then regent Maharani, and the Governor-General of India — ending 517 years of monarchy. The Tripura Sundari temple, predating that merger by nearly four and a half centuries, remains a living symbol of the state's deep cultural and spiritual heritage. The Chief Minister's gesture of gifting its image to the Prime Minister underscores the temple's growing prominence as both a pilgrimage site and a tourism asset under central schemes.