Agartala: Dr Manik Saha-led Tripura cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday in a grand event at Swami Vivekananda Maidan here in Agartala. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, and CMs of Assam, Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh also attended the meeting, an effort to showcase the party’s strength.
However, some crucial questions continued to bother the state BJP. The party seems to have resorted to the 2018 formula of not filling up all the 12 positions of the council of ministers. Rather, eight newly-elected MLAs are set to get cabinet portfolios, except the Chief Minister. The party in power did not disclose why three posts were vacant. Sources said it may be a last-ditch attempt to reach out to TIPRA Motha-led Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.
A meeting is underway at the State Guest House here in Agartala in presence of JP Nadda and Home Minister Shah where representatives of TIPRA are also present. TMP supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and President of the Party BK Hrangkhwal have reportedly joined the dialogue with the BJP top brass. Debbarman, in a tweet, said that his party did not make any compromise without specifying anything. A senior BJP leader said, “After the swearing-in ceremony, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has arrived at the State Guest House to meet TIPRA leaders. Both sides want to negotiate on sharing of power, and if things get sorted there is no harm in it. But one thing is clear: the BJP has already shown a red flag to Greater Tipraland. Now what will be the terms and conditions of the post-poll understanding if anything happens could only be known after the meeting.”
Another shocker of the day was the absence of Union Home Minister Pratima Bhoumik from Dr Saha’s cabinet. Amid rife speculations of her replacing Dr Saha, Bhoumik seems to be the fresh victim of the party’s internal politics. Now, either she has to resign from Lok Sabha or pave the way for another by-election in Dhanpur. A big faction of the BJP is dejected as they feel the party’s top leaders have done an “injustice” to Bhoumik.
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“The party’s decision is final but she deserves better,” a BJP leader told EastMojo requesting anonymity. Apart from that, four senior ministers who served under Dr Saha in the previous cabinet were dropped this time. Tribal Welfare Minister Ram Pada Jamatia, who has always made headlines for speaking against TIPRA failed to get any post this time. Ram Prasad Paul, Bagaban Das and Manoj Kanti Deb have also failed to secure a cabinet berth. However, the first cabinet meeting has been convened on Thursday where the Protem Speaker will be appointed for the oath-taking of the newly elected MLAs. According to reports, the portfolios will be distributed by Wednesday night.
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