Manik Saha set to become Tripura CM again: Details here
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manik Saha is set to become the chief minister of Tripura again, as per the announcement made by the party following a meeting of newly-elected MLAs on Monday. Saha and the new council of ministers will be sworn in on Wednesday. PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda will attend the event, too.
Context
Why does this story matter?
With this announcement, a brief suspense over the CM post ended in Tripura. Notably, a day after the victory, CM Saha tendered his resignation to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya but didn't stake a claim to form the next government. Tripura, which has 60 Assembly seats, went to polls on February 16 and the results came out on Thursday. The BJP alone won 32 seats.
Prediction
Saha gets top post again given his performance
According to reports, 70-year-old Saha was once again given the top post by the BJP, considering his performance over the past year. Prior to the elections, Saha had also predicted that the ruling coalition of the BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) would emerge victorious. After the results, he also claimed that the BJP's performance in Tripura was on expected lines.
Twitter Post
Images of celebrations shared on Twitter
My sincere gratitude to all for electing me as the leader of legislature party.
— Prof.(Dr.) Manik Saha (@DrManikSaha2) March 6, 2023
Under the guidance of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, we shall work together to build 'Unnata Tripura, Shrestha Tripura' & ensure the welfare of all sections of people.@blsanthosh pic.twitter.com/UC0IrV3QOA
About
Who is Manik Saha?
Saha is a dental surgeon-turned-politician who graduated from Lucknow's King George Medical College as a maxillofacial surgeon. Before joining the BJP in 2016, he was part of the Congress. In 2020, he was appointed the BJP's Tripura chief and helped the party win all 13 municipal bodies in 2021. A former badminton player, Saha also served as the Tripura Cricket Association's president during 2019-22.
Win
Stunning win for BJP in Tripura Assembly elections
To note, in the 2023 Assembly polls, the BJP won 32 seats to retain power in Tripura, reaching the majority mark of 31 on its own. Its ally, the IPFT, won one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) got 11 seats, while Congress won three seats. The Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which made its political debut in this election, won in 13 constituencies.