Tripura Assembly Speaker resigns citing ‘personal reasons’, becomes BJP state vice-prez

In another political development, Tripura Legislative Assembly speaker Rebati Mohan Das stepped down from his position on Thursday, citing personal reasons for the move. Das tendered his resignation to deputy speaker Biswabandhu Sen and asked the BJP-led state government to excuse him from the post, as he seeks to invest more time in the party’s organizational activities. 

Speaking to reporters in Agartala, Das said he is a person of the organization, therefore maintaining the post of Assembly Speaker was 'tough for him.'

"I have been requesting for a long time to relieve me from the responsibility. I am a person who is an expert in organization building. I am grateful the BJP has relieved me from the post. I want the party to become strong. However, I have not resigned from my MLA post and the membership of the BJP," he told ANI.

Hours after his resignation, Tripura's BJP president Manik Saha announced that Das has been appointed vice president of the party’s state unit. The post was earlier held by Pratima Bhowmik who recently took over as Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

Who will be the next Tripura Assembly Speaker

Rebati Mohan Das revealed that the two names in the race to succeed him as Assembly Speaker were Biswabandhu Sen and BJP MLA Ratan Chakraborty. Das has already changed his Twitter bio to 'former' Tripura assembly speaker.

Das was a leader of the CPI-M before switching over to BJP in 2016. In the 2018 Assembly polls, he won from the Pratapgarh constituency defeating sitting CPM MLA Ramu Das by 3,148 votes.

The resignation came amid simmering resentment in the ruling party. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb recently expanded his cabinet for the first time since 2018 and inducted three new ministers. Three new faces include Sushanta Chowdhury, Ramprasad Paul, and Bhagaban Das. Under the norms based on the strength of the legislative assembly, Tripura can have 11 ministers.

(With inputs from agency)