Light of prosperity lit in Tripura: Modi
DISPLEASURE Left parties officially boycotted the swearingin ceremony to protest against the postelection violence in the state
AGARTALA: Six days after ending the Left Front’s 25-year rule over Tripura, the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the northeastern state took charge on Friday.
Biplab Deb, a 48-year-old first-time member of the legislative assembly, who played a crucial role in the party’s victory as the state unit chief, was sworn in as chief minister by governor Tathagata Roy at the sprawling Assam Rifles ground here.
Jishnu Dev Barman of the BJP was sworn in as deputy chief minister.
Seven other ministers also took the office. Five of them, Sudip Roy Barman, Ratan Lal Nath, Shantana Chakma, Pranajit Singha Roy and Manoj Kanti Deb, are from the BJP and two, Narendra Chandra Debbarma and Mewar Kumar Jamatia, are from its alliance partner Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, and chief ministers of several Bjp-ruled states.
Left parties officially boycotted the ceremony to protest against the post-poll violence in Tripura. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the main opposition, was, however, represented by former chief minister Manik Sarkar, his finance minister Badal Choudhury and Lok Sabha member Jitendra Chaudhury.
Deb sought the four-time chief minister’s feet to seek his blessings.
Sarkar, who left the programme after the oath-taking ceremony, was escorted out by Modi.
“Today, Tripura is celebrating Diwali again. The light of prosperity, a new hope, new aspirations, have taken birth again,” Modi said in a speech.
“This new government will work for the people who have voted it to power and for them as well who didn’t vote for it. I hope the new team, headed by a young chief minister, and the experienced opposition representatives would work together to take the state in a new direction,” Modi said.
Earlier, Deb assured the gathering that he and his team would do their best for the state’s development. “If I commit any mistake in providing good governance, pull my ears to show me the right track. Treat me as your son and brother,” he said.
The BJP won 35 seats, the IPFT eight and the CPI (M) 16 seats in the 60-member Tripura assembly in the state election last month.election to one seat was postponed because of the death of a candidate.
One of the oldest allies of the BJP. The SAD has a grip over the rural areas of Punjab, while the BJP is big in urban centres. They share common views on several strategic issues.
The alliance won 6 out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in 2014
The SAD is uneasy with the new order of the BJP, which reluctantly accepted the junior partner’s status. It is unhappy how the coalition is being managed by the BJP. It expected the get the NDA convener’s post after the JD(U) walked out of NDA in 2013.
The alliance with BJP is part of the outreach by PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah towards other backward communities of Bihar. The BJP-LJP-RLSP alliance won 31 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2014
RLSP chief and junior HRD minister Upendra Kushwaha is not comfortable with BJP’S pact with Nitish Kumar, a fellow Kurmi leader from Bihar. The RJD joined a human chain programme by RLSP in Patna in January.
Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar united in July 2017, three years after the JD(U) leader walked out of the NDA. The two have developed a personal bond over the last one year. Nitish was one of the main opposition leaders to support demonetisation
The two parties are putting up a united face after government formation in Bihar, but distribution of seats in 2019 LS election will be difficult. JD(U) was NDA’S big brother in Bihar during its earlier stint, but now has only 2 Lok Sabha MPS as compared to BJP’S 22.