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Journalism of Courage
Forty-four newly elected MLAs were sworn in at the Tripura Assembly by Pro tem Speaker Binoy Bhushan Das on Thursday. While 30 of them belonged to the BJP, the others were the lone legislator of its partner, the IPFT, two Congress MLAs and 11 from the CPM.
The thirteen MLAs of the TIPRA Motha, the second largest party in the 60-member House, will be sworn in at the speaker’s chamber on Friday.
Das had earlier said the ruling BJP and IPFT MLAs would be sworn in on Thursday and the Opposition MLAs on Friday.
As Union minister Pratima Bhoumik, who won the Dhanpur Assembly seat, resigned Wednesday to retain her Parliament membership and Das was earlier sworn in pro tem speaker by Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya, all BJP legislators have taken the oath of office.
Contrary to the previously announced schedule, all 11 CPM MLAs have taken the oath as well. Sudip Roy Barman is the only Congress MLA to be sworn in.
CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury told reporters that the Left Front legislators would support the BJP-led government’s good initiatives. Asked whether Left MLAs would continue the partnership with the Congress or have any understanding with the TIPRA Motha, the CPM leader said the Left Front would raise its voice with everyone including the BJP for people’s welfare and justice.
“Our work in the next five years would be to save the constitutional rights of people including freedom of speech, right to protest and stand against injustice along with other constitutional guarantees that are not equally available to people of this state,” he said. “We might be 11 MLAs but we will render our duties as representatives of the 40 lakh people of the state. But we will oppose any tendency to pursue personal interests or disrupt people’ rights and the state’s development journey.”
Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the government would work for the state’s development with the BJP motto of “sabka saath, sabka vikas”.
