CPM secretary sworn in as opposition leader in Tripura Assembly

Tripura CPM secretary and party legislator Jitendra Chaudhury was sworn in as leader of opposition (LoP) in the state assembly on Wednesday almost two weeks after main opposition TIPRA Motha party joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government.
Chaudhury was sworn in by assembly speaker Biswabandhu Sen.
Chaudhury replaced Animesh Debbarma of TIPRA Motha party who earlier served as leader of opposition.
Currently, Debbarma is Forest, General Administration (P&S) and Science and Technology minister in chief minister Manik Saha’s cabinet.
“Earlier TIPRA Motha party was the prime opposition in the Assembly and Animesh Debbarma remained leader of the opposition till they joined BJP. As they became part of the government, CPM is the prime opposition in the Assembly with its 10 MLAs. Their legislative party has chosen Jitendra Chaudhury to serve as leader of opposition”, Biswabandhu Sen told reporters in assembly.
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Chaudhury remained minister in the former Left Front regime till 2013 and later served as a parliamentarian till 2018.
“Being an opposition leader, I shall support any welfare activity of the government and also highlight any mistake or anti-people policy of the government before the public. I shall try to take up these issues inside and outside the Assembly based on my experience as MLA for nearly two decades and Lok Sabha MP”, said Chaudhury.
In the 60-seated Assembly, the BJP-IPFT-TIPRA Motha combine has 47 MLAs including 33 from BJP, 13 from TIPRA Motha and a single MLA from IPFT.
The IPFT was in alliance with BJP since 2018.
The CPM had 11 seats in the last assembly polls but lost one in by-polls held at two seats in Sepahajila district soon after.