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Journalism of Courage
The Opposition parties in Tripura – Tipra Motha, CPI(M), and Congress – have decided to field senior Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy as their joint candidate for the Speaker’s post. State Congress chief and MLA Birajit Sinha made the announcement at the Pradesh Congress Bhawan in Agartala Monday. The nominations for the post of Speaker would have to be submitted before 1 pm on March 23. The Assembly is slated to appoint the Speaker on March 24.
“The Congress, the CPI(M), and the TIPRA Motha have agreed to propose Gopal Chandra Roy as the candidate for Speaker. The appointment of the Speaker is very crucial. The BJP got the majority getting only 38-39 per cent vote share in the election. Over 60 per cent of people wanted a change this year… We shall provide constructive cooperation to this government and shall fight inside and outside the Assembly for the interests of the people of the state,” Sinha said while appealing to all MLAs to support the Opposition candidate.
“Gopal is a law graduate, he has been a legislator for a long time and we believe MLAs will support him on the basis of conscience,” the Congress leader added.
“CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury would propose Gopal Chandra Roy’s candidature and the TIPRA Motha would support the proposal. All of us shall collectively put forth our candidate,” he said.
The Congress would announce its candidate for the post of Deputy Speaker once the Assembly issues a notification in that regard, Sinha further said.
In the recently concluded elections, the Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma-led TIPRA Motha emerged as the principal Opposition party in the 60-member House with 13 seats, whereas the CPI(M) got 11 and the Congress three seats. The ruling BJP has 32 legislators while its alliance partner IPFT has won a solitary seat.
