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Manik Saha joined the BJP in 2016 after leaving Congress. (File) BJP leader Manik Saha, a dentist-turned-politician who led the ruling party in Tripura, will be sworn in today as the state's premier for a second consecutive term. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP leader JP Nadda, as well as several chief ministers from the states. led by the BJP.
Manik Saha is a dental surgeon who joined the BJP in 2016 after leaving Congress. He was appointed state party leader in 2020 and elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2022.
He was a BJP deputy until the changing of the guard last year. In 2022, Saha replaced Biplab Kumar Deb to lead the party in the assembly polls amid a multifaceted contest in the northeastern state.
On Monday, Mr. Saha asked Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya to demand the formation of a government in Tripura.
Earlier in the day, there was a general assembly of all newly elected BJP MPs who unanimously nominated Manik Saha as the party's leader in the legislature.
“My sincere gratitude to everyone for electing me to lead the Legislative Party. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we will work together to build 'Unnata Tripura, Shrestha Tripura' and ensure the well-being of all strata of the population.” Saha tweeted after the meeting.
The BJP returned to power in Tripura winning an absolute majority with 32 seats and a vote share of around 39%, according to the electoral commission. Tipra Motha Party came in second with 13 seats.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 11 seats while the Congress won three. The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) won only one seat.
