BJP's Biplab Deb sworn in as Tripura CM

Agartala: A fresh wind of change wafted through the North Eastern state of Tripura today with BJP's young 'Turk' Biplab Deb taking oath as the tenth Chief Minister of the state.Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and secrecy to 48-year-old Deb at a function at Assam Rifles Ground adjacent to Raj Bhawan.Jishnu Deb Barma, a scion of the royal family and a tribal, also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.People across the state were present in the ground.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party veterans L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, besides Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister NirmalaSitharaman and several other dignitaries from different states were present in the star-studded swearing-in ceremony.Outgoing Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar was also present in the programme, though other Left leaders preferred to give it a miss.

It was a remarkable performance for the BJP, which had no MLAs in the outgoing Assembly and polled just 1.5 per cent votes in the 2013 elections, losing deposits in 49 of the 50 constituencies it contested, secured over 42 per cent of votes in the February 18, 2018, Tripura elections.The BJP, which bagged 35 of the 60 seats, has chosen the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) as its alliance partner, which won eight seats, in this tribal-dominated north eastern state, which shares its borders with Bangladesh.(UNI)