Tripura’s political landscape shifts as BJP’s Kishor Barman takes charge as new Cabinet Minister
by Utsav RoyTripura Governor, Indra Sena Reddy Nallu administered the oath of office and secrecy to Kishor Barman, who was sworn in as a cabinet minister during a modest ceremony held at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. The event, hosted at the Durbar Hall in the New Capital complex, was attended by Chief Minister Manik Saha, other cabinet members, and senior administrative and security officials.
Barman, aged 45, is a first-term legislator representing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also served as the General Secretary of the party in the state and secured his seat from the Nalchar constituency in Sepahijala district during the 2023 Assembly elections.
With Barman’s induction, Tripura’s council of ministers, limited to 12 members including the Chief Minister, now stands at its maximum permitted strength. Speaking to reporters following the swearing-in, Barman expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Manik Saha and senior party leaders at the national level for giving him the opportunity to serve in the cabinet.
However, the ceremony was boycotted by the opposition CPI(M) and Congress, who cited ongoing violence and harassment against their leaders and workers as the reason for their absence.
This development marks the second expansion of the cabinet led by Chief Minister Saha. The previous cabinet expansion took place on March 7, 2024, when two MLAs from the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, were inducted into ministerial positions.
The BJP-IPFT alliance formed the government for a second consecutive term following the 2023 Assembly elections. While the BJP secured 32 seats, its ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), managed to win just one, together forming a majority in the 60-member Assembly. The TMP, a tribal-based party led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, won 13 of the 42 seats it contested, emerging as the second-largest political force.
Though TMP contested the elections independently, it joined the ruling coalition in March 2024 after signing a tripartite agreement with the central and state governments. TMP and IPFT both draw support from tribal regions, including the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), a politically influential body governing nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s territory and home to a significant tribal population.