Tripura: Upset BJP MLAs resign, likely to join Congress

Agartala: Tripura BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Kumar Saha resigned, ending months of speculation about their shift to the Congress party ahead of the state assembly election in 2023.

“We have handed over the resignation to the Speaker, and he has accepted it. After scrutiny, he will follow his responsibilities as per the rule of law. From today onwards, we have resigned from the primary membership of BJP. The resignation letter has been sent before the state president, and we hope he would accept the same,” Saha said.

“We will fly to New Delhi, and after returning from there, we will speak in detail on the reason behind our resignation,” Saha added.

They refused to comment whether they would meet Rahul Gandhi or not.

“We are into politics for the people, and we can no longer see people suffer in pain and problems. Today, we are feeling relieved as people are unable to work freely due to several reasons. Democracy is in danger, one man is ruling, and no ministers are able to work,” Roy Barman said.

He said a few officers and heads were doing anything they want, however, people’s suffering had not been addressed by the government. “We could not accept the misrule, and therefore, we have decided to side ourselves from the BJP. On Saturday we will be back and speak in detail. The government will be pushed into a minority,” Roy Barman added.

Both Roy Barman and Saha will leave for New Delhi at 12:40 PM and are likely to meet top leaders from the Congress party, where they will decide on joining the grand old party later this month.

Roy Barman was the health minister in the present BJP-IPFT government but was axed from the state cabinet soon after the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, for allegedly being vocal against his government, according to party sources.

Roy Barman, who has won straight five terms, was a legislator from Congress and leader of the opposition in the state assembly. He left the grand old party to join Trinamool Congress in 2016. A year later, he joined the saffron party with other MLAs.

In August last year, five MLAs, including Burman, Saha, Burbamohan Tripura, Dibachandra Hrankhawl, and Asish Das, organised a meeting to put forward some suggestions to the party’s central leadership for rectification of the party’.

Later many central leaders, including the party’s North East Zonal Secretary (Organisation), Ajay Jamwal had rushed to Tripura to review the situation.