Agartala: In the midst of dissidence and anti-incumbency against Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, three and half years after assuming power Deb is reportedly going for expansion of his cabinet by inducting three more ministers leaving one berth empty next week.
The BJP sources confirmed that three ministers including one from the scheduled caste community would be inducted in the eight members cabinet of Biplab Kumar Deb, which has the provision of 12 members. However, sources claimed that none of the dissident MLA and the followers of Deb’s contender Sudip Roybarman would be getting entry this time too.
There has been a rumor that the central BJP leadership would remove Biplab Deb from the post to manage the dissident MLAs and arrest the growth of Trinamool congress and anti-incumbency but as of now no such indication is there and Deb will remain as chief minister for the time being, a senior party functionary said here today.
“However, in the cabinet reshuffle two close MLAs of Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and Sudip Roybarman who have recently joined in CM’s team would be inducted in the ministry to send a message to the dissident MLAs that BJP central leadership is still rely on Biplab Deb,” he added.
Rubbished the campaign from a quarter of BJP that Sudip Roybarman along with six MLAs have been in touch with Trinamool congress and recently had held meeting with Trinamool congress national general secretary Abhisekh Banerjee, Roybarman said, “These all are rumors by those who want to fish in troubled water. I am with BJP and there is no chance of my defection. I shall abide by the decision of the Central BJP leadership.”
He further stated, “Central leadership is closely monitoring the situation of the state and I shall not compromise even to an extent where communist will get an iota of benefit. We work for the people of Tripura and shall continue to do the best.”
To finalise the induction and pre-expansion discussion, the state BJP’s vice president and union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Pratima Bhowmik, BJP Tripura observer Vinod Kumar Sonkar along with tow other central leaders of BJP are scheduled to arrive here on Aug 30 next and complete the process of expansion by their presence besides, reviewing the party activities.