Tripura CM Manik Saha sworn in as MLA after victory in recent by-elections

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who won the recent by-election from Town Bardowali constituency, was on Friday sworn in as MLA at a simple ceremony on the Assembly premises.

Speaker Ratan Chakraborty administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Saha in the presence of deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Verma and other cabinet colleagues.

Saha, who replaced Biplab Kumar Deb as the CM earlier in the year, was not a member of the Assembly.

According to Article 164(4) of the Constitution, an unelected member can assume office as CM but he or she has to win a byelection or get elected to the Legislative Council within six months to retain the chair.

Three other MLAs who won the June 16 by-polls in the state -- Sudip Roy Barman of the Congress, and Swapna Das Paul and Malina Debnath of the BJP had taken oath on July 4.

Bypolls were held in four assembly seats -- Agartala, Town Bardowali, Jubarajnagar, and Surma.

Saha resigned as Rajya Sabha member earlier this week to pave the way for his swearing-in as MLA.

The CM, after the ceremony, asserted that the BJP would secure a big win in the electoral battle of 2023.

The BJP snatched a win in Jubarajnagar constituency in North Tripura district, defeating the communists after 22 years. In 2018, we had failed to bag the seat. This time, we did it comfortably, he told reporters

Claiming that he had always met expectations when any responsibility was given to him, Saha added that he would steer his party to victory as people would voted for the BJP in hordes.