Agartala: In a significant political development, former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been named as the BJP’s candidate for the West Tripura parliamentary constituency for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Deb will replace heavyweight BJP leader and Union Minister of State Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik.
Earlier, Bhoumik contested the assembly elections and offered an electoral drubbing to the rival CPIM candidate in the Left bastion Dhanpur. She had to, however, resign from the assembly as the party’s high command wanted her to continue in the central portfolio.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Bhoumik was dropped from the West Tripura seat.
Deb, a senior BJP leader who practically laid the foundation stone of the saffron camp in Tripura, assumed the charge of Chief Minister in 2018. He became the first BJP Chief Minister of the North Eastern state.
However, Deb failed to complete his full term as Chief Minister. As per the direction of the party’s central leadership, Deb resigned from the post and waited for his turn.
The party later nominated Deb for the Rajya Sabha berth. After his brief service in the upper house, Deb is again fielded in electoral politics from West Tripura.
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Insiders in the BJP said that Pratima Bhoumik would be fielded as an MLA candidate from Ramnagar assembly constituency which fell vacant after the untimely death of MLA Surajit Datta.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, BJP State President Rajib Bhattacharjee, and other senior leaders congratulated Deb on being nominated as the party candidate.
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