Manik Saha sworn in as Tripura CM

BJP State President Manik Saha was sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Sunday after the former CM Biplab Deb suddenly resigned on Saturday.

Governor SN Arya administered the oath to Manik Saha, a Rajya Sabha MP, at the Raj Bhavan at Agartala, the official residence-cum-office of the Governor of Tripura, reports PTI.

Union minister Pratima Bhoumik also attended the swearing-in programme.

"Will work for the people of Tripura, taking further the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Will focus on the law-and-order situation," Manik Saha said after the swearing-in ceremony.

"There are no challenges," he said when asked about the change of guard in the state months ahead of the assembly elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and minister Ram Prasad Paul, who broke chairs during the BJP's legislative party meeting on Saturday protesting Manik Saha's appointment as the chief minister, arrived at the Raj Bhavan moments after the swearing-in ceremony ended.

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The opposition CPI(M) MLAs boycotted the programme, alleging "fascist-style violence" in the state under the BJP's rule.

Manik Saha, a maxillofacial surgeon who graduated from the King George Medical College in Lucknow, was a member of the opposition Congress before he joined the BJP in 2016. He became the party's state president in 2020.

Sources said the move comes after an analysis sent by the RSS to the BJP's central leadership indicated there was a need for a change of guard in the party and the government, PTI added.