​Manik Saha takes oath as Tripura chief minister for second time

NEW DELHI: Dr Manik Saha (69) took oath of office as the chief minister of Tripura, leading the BJP-led government in the North-eastern state for the second time, on Wednesday in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Saha took oath along with eight others, including a woman and four new faces, at a mammoth gathering at Vivekananda Stadium in Agartala, which also saw the attendance of BJP national president J P Nadda, chief ministers and several top leaders from the saffron party-ruled states.

Among those who were administered the oath of office and secrecy by governor Satyadev Narian Araya were senior leaders and ministers of the outgoing cabinet, Ratan Lal Nath, Pranajit Singha Roy, Santana Chakma and Sushanta Chowdhury. Four new faces inducted in the cabinet this time include three first-time MLAs, Tinku Roy and Bikas Debbarma of the BJP and Sukla Charan Noatia of ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), besides second-time MLA Sudhangsu Das.
However, three cabinet berths have still been kept vacant anticipating that the second largest party TIPRA Motha would join the government, if not, then these would be filled up in the next phase, the BJP sources said.
“I am committed to the development of the state with any political consideration. I believe in a democracy people have the right to vote for opposition parties and the co-existence of the ruling party and opposition is the beauty of India, which led to development and prosperity. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modiji we shall drive Tripura into a model state,” Dr Saha said after becoming the CM.
Ahead of Saha's swearing-in ceremony, PM Modi held a grand road show in Agartala. The prime minister arrived in Agartala from Guwahati around 10.3oam before the oath-taking ceremony at 11am.

Meanwhile, the Left Front and Congress boycotted the swearing-in ceremony in protest against post-poll violence in Tripura while sources said TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and all his 13 newly elected MLAs are likely to meet Shah at state guest house in Agartala amid strong indications that the regional party will join the BJP-led alliance in government.

The BJP sources had earlier said that the selection of Saha as the chief minister was unanimously endorsed by all the MLAs of the BJP which retained Tripura with a comfortable majority even when a strong fight was predicted amid speculations of anti-incumbency and a pre-poll alliance between archrivals Congress and the Left.

Saha had replaced Biplab Deb as the Tripura CM barely a few months ago. In the just-concluded assembly elections, he defeated Congress's veteran leader Ashish Kumar Saha, by a margin of 1,257 votes from Town Bardowali despite detractors within his own party predicting a "tough time" for him in the prestigious constituency. Overall, the BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member assembly while its ally IPFT won one seat.

Earlier, speculation was rife that Saha may make way for Union minister Pratima Bhowmik this time.

Saha, a dental surgeon-turned politician, had joined the saffron party in 2016 itself.

Tripura went to assembly elections in a single-phase polling on February 16 and counting of votes was held on March 2.

The BJP had captured the Left bastion in 2018.