Deb sworn in as Tripura CM, Modi vows to work for Northeast: 10 highlights

Narendra Modi, Manik Sarkar, L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Vijay Rupani among top leaders attending the massive event in Tripura

After an astounding victory over the Left alliance in Tripura Assembly election 2018, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Biplab Kumar Deb is being sworn in as the 10th Chief Minister of the state on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav, and Amit Shah are present at the swearing-in ceremony. 

Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is also in attendance, with other elected members of the CPI(M). The ceremony is being touted to be a massive event by the BJP, with Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Assam BJP CM Sarbananda Sonowal also attending.

The Left Front has said that it will not be attending the event to protest what it calls the BJP's 'reign of terror', claiming that the saffron party has perpetrated large-scale violence on its members after its electoral victory.

The BJP-IPFT combine swept the Assembly election last week, winning 43 seats in the 60-member House.

BJP bigwigs arrive in Tripura

PM Narendra Modi has already arrived in the northeastern state's capital Agartala. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP's poll doctor in the seven hill states, too, has arrived for the ceremony. He claimed in a tweet, "History being scripted in Indian politics as a red bastion turns into saffron fortress."  L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi are also present.
 

Top 10 developments:

1. Amit Shah visits Maa Tripura Sundari temple ahead of swearing-in

The BJP President is already in Tripura for the swearing-in. He tweeted: Took blessings of Maa Tripura Sundari in Udaipur (Tripura) and prayed for the well-being of our citizens. With Maa Tripura Sundari's blessings, an era of development and progress will now begin in the state of Tripura.

2. Who is Biplab Kumar Deb?

Biplab Kumar Deb is a longtime RSS volunteer. In a BJP poll last year, the party found out that Biplab Kumar Deb was more popular in the state than Manik Sarkar. He was made the party's state president immediately by replacing the longest-serving BJP chief in the state. 

Biplab Kumar Deb spent his childhood in Tripura before moving to New Delhi to complete his studies. The 48-year old politician won the Banamalipur assembly seat by a margin of 9,700 votes by defeating Left Front's Amol Chokroborty. The seat was previously held by the Congress.

Biplab Kumar Deb will be the youngest Chief Minister of India at present after Maharasthra's Devendra Fadnavis.

3. Left accuses BJP of violence

The left in Tripura has accused BJP of carrying out large-scale violence in the state after their electoral victory. Left Front leaders of the state have decided to 

boycott the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government in protest. Left leader Bijan Dhar accused BJP workers of attacking 400 party offices, 85 of which were torched 

and 315 forcibly occupied. Moreover, 600 Left supporters are said to have been assaulted physically and more than a thousand their shops, houses and vehicles burnt.

4. Biplab Kumar Deb, Ram Madhav invite Manik Sarkar

Biplab Kumar Deb and BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav personally invited Manik Sarkar to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet.

5. Lenin's statue pulled down

Days after the BJP victory in Tripura, a statue of Vladimir Lenin was razed to the ground by BJP workers. The act started a series of incidents of statue vandalism in what was termed as the 'statue wars'. In the past few days, statues of Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Periyar, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee have been brought down across the country. 

6. Royal to play second fiddle

Jishnu Debbarman, a descendant of the Tripura royal family has been chosen by the BJP leadership for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. 

7. IPFT to get 2 ministers Tripura cabinet

The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura is set to get two ministerial berths in the new the Biplab Kumar Deb Cabinet. The IPFT had demanded that the state's Chief 

Minister be one among the elected tribal MLAs. 

With a 60-member Legislative Assembly, Tripura can have a maximum of 12 ministers including the Chief Minister.

8. Security beefed up in Tripura ahead of swearing-in ceremony

West Tripura District Magistrate Milind Ramteke and West District Police chief Abhijit Saptarshi are supervising the administrative and security arrangements for the swearing-in-ceremony of the new BJP government at the Assam Rifles ground.

"People would attend the swearing-in-ceremony from all across the state. In view of the possible arrival of the prime minister and other VVIPs in Friday's swearing-

in-ceremony, elaborate security arrangements are being put in place," Saptarshi told the media. 

9.  'Poriborton' for development pitch

Biplab Deb campaigned on the plank of 'poriborton' (change) to usher in development. He promised the youth employment opportunities, which he promised to improve if 

elected Chief Minister of Tripura. He also promised that state government employees will be compensated as per the 7th Pay Commission if the BJP won.

10.  Left's 25-year rule broken

The BJP-IPFT alliance created history in the Tripura assembly elections by ending the Left Front's 25-year reign which was led by the Communist Party of India 

(Marxist). The BJP-IPFT alliance trumped the Left Front with two-thirds majority.

The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies.