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BJP MLA elected Speaker of Tripura Assembly, Tipra Motha walks out over 'seating arrangement'

With BJP-IPFT having 32 MLAs in the house of 60, the number was already in Biswabandhu Sen's favour
Last Updated 24 March 2023, 14:01 IST

Senior BJP MLA Biswabandhu Sen was elected as Speaker of Tripura Assembly on Friday morning, minutes after the Opposition Tipra Motha surprisingly walked out of the Assembly citing "improper seating arrangement."

Sen, the former deputy Speaker, was elected as the new Speaker with 32 votes while Gopal Roy, a senior Congress MLA, who was earlier nominated as a "unanimous" candidate by the Opposition CPI(M), Congress and Tipra Motha, got only 14 votes.

With BJP-IPFT having 32 MLAs in the House of 60, the number was already in Sen's favour. But the manner in which Tipra Motha distanced itself from the voting inside the Assembly raised speculation about its "bonhomie" with BJP. Sources said BJP leaders reached out to Tipra Motha in order to ensure Sen's smooth sail.

The walkout by Tipra Motha came a day after Home Minister Amit Shah called up Pradyot Deb Barma and assured that an interlocutor will be appointed within March 27 for talks regarding Tipra Motha's demand for a "Constitutional solution" to the problems confronting the state's indigenous people.

Hours before the Speaker's election, Deb Barma tweeted saying that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also met him on Thursday night and discussed Shah's assurance.

Motha's stand

Tipra Motha emerged as the second biggest party by winning 13 seats in its maiden Assembly elections on February 16. The Opposition CPI(M) and Congress, which contested the elections in a seat sharing arrangement for the first time in Tripura, won only 11 and three seats, respectively.

Shah on March 8 met Deb Barma and all 13 MLAs to discuss its demand and decided to appoint an interlocutor for talks. Tipra Motha, however, turned down the BJP's offer to join the government without a "constitutional solution" to the issues of the tribals. Deb Barma also expressed unhappiness over the delay in appointment of the interlocutor and announced that Tipra Motha would "take on" the BJP-IPFT government, both inside the Assembly and outside for issues concerning the tribals and others.

But Tipra Motha's walk out from the Assembly during election of the Speaker on Friday made both CPI(M) and Congress suspicious about its political stand in Tripura.

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(Published 24 March 2023, 09:37 IST)

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