(MENAFN- IANS) Agartala, July 10 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his political Guru (mentor) who had inspired him to join the BJP and politics.

Expressing his deep gratitude to Modi on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, the Chief Minister said,“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is my only inspiration to join the BJP and active politics. If anyone asks me who my political Guru is, I will boldly say Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

He said,“I entered politics by watching him. On this special day, I seek his blessings.”

On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, Saha, a dental surgeon turned politician, also expressed his deep regards to his teachers and professors in academic life.

"All teachers and instructors who have contributed to the academic life of an individual should be regarded as a Guru.”

Emphasising the long-standing tradition of the guru-disciple relationship in Indian culture, the Chief Minister noted that he had personally visited his teachers' homes on Thursday to seek their blessings.

"I still try to keep in touch with my teachers who have inspired me for hard work and refined me both as a human being and as a student," he stated.

He also mentioned that he checked in with one of his teachers currently residing in Bengaluru.

After visiting the residence of an eminent teacher, Saha said in a post on his X handle:“On Guru Purnima, I was honoured to visit Dr. Jagadish Gan Chowdhury, one of Tripura's most eminent educationists, at his Ker Chowmuhani residence and receive his gracious blessings.”

Saha was a Congress supporter before joining the BJP in 2016 and became the BJP Tripura state president in 2020 and the Chief Minister in May 2022 after former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb resigned from the top post following the instructions of central leaders.

In the 2023 assembly polls, the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance returned to power for the second consecutive term under the leadership of Saha. BJP got 32 seats in the 60-member house while IPFT managed one seat.

With 13 MLAs, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), led by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, joined the BJP-led coalition government in March last year. Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister extended warm wishes to the people of Tripura on the occasion of Guru Purnima.

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