Himanta visits Tripura, meets Shah in Delhi to finalise ministry in Tripura, Nagaland

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday met several BJP MLAs and leaders in Tripura as the suspense over who will become the next CM continued continues.

Sources said although Manik Saha's name has been endorsed by the party high command, BJP rushed Sarma to Agartala as a section of MLAs pushed the name of Union Minister Pratima Bhaumik as the new CM. Sources said Sarma met Bhaumik and Saha separately at Agartala before rushing to New Delhi for a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah to finalise the names of ministers in Tripura and Nagaland.

The issue over who will become the deputy CM in Nagaland will also be finalised in the meeting, sources said.

A senior BJP leader in Tripura told DH that the majority of the MLAs on Sunday endorsed Saha but the official announcement would be made by the party high command before the swearing-in ceremony on March 8.

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Rajib Banerjee, president of BJP's Tripura unit, told reporters at Agartala that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah consented to attend the oath-taking ceremony on March 8. A meeting for preparation of the oath-taking was held on Sunday, in which both Saha and Bhaumik attended. Saha later visited the Vivekananda ground at Agartala and took stock of the preparation for the ceremony.

Sources said Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Assam on Monday in which further discussion is likely to take place about Tripura and Nagaland, where BJP and its allies retained power for the second term. In Meghalaya, BJP won only two seats but extended support to National People's Party (NPP) to form the government again. The NPP emerged as the single largest party by winning 26 out of 59 seats. The party led by Conrad K Sangma, is all set to form the government again with the support of BJP, HSPDP (two MLAs) and two Independents.

In Nagaland, BJP has already named Neiphiu Rio, the chief of its ally NDPP as the next CM but suspense continues over who would become the deputy CM this time. In 2018, BJP leader Y Patton was made the deputy CM but this time some MLAs have proposed the name of Temjen Imna Along, the president of BJP's Nagaland unit for the deputy CM's post.