Agartala: Chief Minister of the outgoing government in Tripura Dr Manik Saha has been re-elected on Monday in the BJP legislative party meeting here amid pressure from a group within the party for Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik.
Dr Saha had demanded the formation of the government as BJP won the majority seats in the 60 members’ assembly.
While BJP has 32 legislators and its ally IPFT won one seat, the regional party of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman appeared as principal opposition with 13 members followed by CPI-M with 11 and Congress with 3 MLAs.
According to sources, most likely Jishnu Dev Varma would be inducted into the cabinet as Deputy CM with finance and other important portfolios considering his importance in the government and the growing demand among the tribals. Varma would be elected in a by-election within six months and BJP will sacrifice a seat for him, sources indicated.
Sources said BJP has taken three days’ time to convene legislatures meeting because Dr Saha’s most trusted man in the last government Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and the party’s state president Rajib Bhattacharjee lost the election.
