AGARTALA: Senior Tripura minister and BJP's ruling ally IPFT's founder-president N C Debbarma on Sunday died following a massive cerebral stroke.
The veteran tribal leader was 80, and is survived by his wife, four sons and three daughters.
The state revenue and forest minister was not keeping well for the last few months as he was suffering from chronic diabetes, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) spokesperson Amit Debbarma said.
He suffered a massive cerebral stroke on Saturday and was admitted to a state-run hospital here, where he underwent surgery but breathed his last at 2.45 pm on Sunday, the spokesperson said.
Debbarma floated IPFT in 2009 after his retirement as the director of All India Radio (AIR), Agartala.
He forged a political alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2018 assembly elections and toppled the Manik Sarkar-led Left Front government, which was in power for 25 years at a stretch.
The IPFT, under his leadership, won eight of the nine ST-reserved constituencies in the last assembly election.
Debbarma, along with Mevar Kumar Jamatia, was inducted into the cabinet of Biplab Kumar Deb.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed deep condolence over Debbarma's death.
"I am deeply saddened by the passing away of a senior member of the state cabinet -- NC Debbarma and my deepest condolence to the bereaved family. May his departed soul rest in peace," he said in a Facebook post.