Agartala: BJP MLA Kishor Barman on Thursday took oath as a cabinet minister in Tripura. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan in Agartala.
With the induction of the new minister, the strength of the cabinet of Chief Minister Manik Saha rose to 12.
The 44-year-old MLA of Nalchar constituency in Sepahijala district was administered the oath of office by Governor N Indrasena Reddy at Raj Bhavan.
Barman, who has gained recognition for his growing influence and organizational capabilities within the ruling party, is likely to be assigned the Education Department, a key portfolio in the state government.
The development comes a day after Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha met Governor Reddy at Raj Bhavan, reportedly to discuss the cabinet expansion.
On March 8, 2023, the BJP-led government came to power for the second consecutive term.
BJP allies, including the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and Tipra Motha Party (TMP), have three ministers, while the rest belong to the BJP.
Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura and its lone MLA, Sukla Charan Noatia, is a cabinet minister.
The BJP-IPFT alliance had retained power in Tripura by winning 32 seats in the 60-member assembly.
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The TMP, which contested the elections for the first time, won 13 of the 42 seats it contested for, emerging as the second largest party after the BJP. The CPI-M won 11 seats in the elections while the Congress bagged three.
In 2024, TMP joined the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura.
