The former main opposition Tipra Motha Party (TMP) in Tripura on Thursday joined the BJP-led coalition government.
The move saw the induction of two party MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishketu Debbarma, into Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha’s council of ministers.
Animesh, who was earlier the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, resigned from his post before taking oath as a minister. Both the ministers are two-time MLAs.
Speculations about TMP entering the government were rife in political circles on Wednesday evening, though no official confirmation was made then.
The speculation began after TMP signed a tripartite agreement with the Center and the state government on March 2. The purpose of this agreement was to rapidly resolve issues related to the indigenous people of the state.
After the swearing-in, TMP founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma expressed his commitment to upholding the rights and progress of indigenous tribal communities. He said both the TMP ministers will maintain their separate approach within the cabinet while giving priority to the demands of their constituents.
Pradyot insisted that the TMP would not repeat the mistakes made by the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the BJP since 2018.
