Manik Saha leads race for Tripura CM; oath on March 8

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is likely to retain Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha in the post. The swearing in of the new chief minister, scheduled for March 8, the day of Holi, will be attended by top BJP leaders from across the country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states.

Sources said the top BJP leadership has finalised the name of Saha and asked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the party’s pointsman for the Northeast, to talk to leaders in Tripura and get their endorsement. Party sources have not ruled out trouble in the MLAs’ meeting due to factionalism in the state unit.

An ugly brawl had broken out among BJP MLAs and state party functionaries when Saha was appointed after the removal of the party’s first chief minister in the state, Biplab Deb. Sources said a faction among the newly-elected MLAs, which is loyal to Deb and former Union minister Pratima Bhowmik, is opposed to the reelection of Saha. This faction is strongly pitching for Pratima as the next chief minister. Pratima, who had become the first minister from Tripura in the Union cabinet, is also a strong contender for the chief ministership, sources said.

Meanwhile, Sarma, who landed in Agartala on Saturday, said that his party was ready to join hands with the TIPRA Motha, which emerged as the second- largest party, but only on the condition that Tripura will remain undivided. There are reports that Conrad Sangma and Neiphiu Rio will take oath as chief ministers of Meghalaya and Nagaland respectively on March 7. Modi will attend both the swearing-in ceremonies.

PM to attend oath-taking

PM Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremonies of the 3 Northeastern CMs. While Conrad Sangma and Neiphiu Rio will be sworn in on March 7, the new CM of Tripura will take oath on March 8, the day of Holi.