Manik Saha is the new Chief Minister of Tripura

In a surprise move, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Manik Saha was made the new Chief Minister of Tripura, replacing Biplob Kumar Dev, who resigned earlier on Saturday.

Saha, the state president of the BJP, was elected leader of the legislature party at a meeting at the chief minister’s official residence when a Crestflond Dev submitted his resignation letter to Governor SN Arya.

Minister Ram Prasad Paul protested against the nomination of 69-year-old Saha at the Dev Sabha, which led to clashes between the MLAs. Sources said that Paul also broke some chairs before the situation calmed down.

Paul wanted Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Verma, a member of the former Tripura royal family, as the next chief minister of the state, they said.

Veteran BJP leaders Bhupendra Yadav and Binod Taore were election observers.

“I was and will remain an ordinary member of the party,” Saha told reporters after announcing the name of the next chief minister.

Dev, 50, resigned a day after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda in New Delhi.

“The party is above all. I am a loyal BJP worker. I hope I have done justice to the responsibility that was given to me – be it as the BJP state president or the chief minister of Tripura. I have worked totally. Development of Tripura, and the state. To ensure peace for the people, “Dev said after resigning.

“The election of 2023 is coming, and the party wants a responsible organizer to take charge here. Because, the government can be formed only if the organization is strong,” he explained the decision to give organizational responsibility to the party.

Dev was appointed chief minister after the BJP came to power in 2018, ending 25 years of Left Front rule in the north-eastern state.