
Tripura: BJP MLA Kishor Barman sworn in as cabinet minister
BJP MLA from Nalchhar, Kishor Barman, was on Thursday sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Manik Saha government in Tripura in the presence of Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu. Chief minister Saha, his council of ministers and other administrative officials were also present. BJP MLA Kishor Barman. (Photo from X)
Barman is a first-time MLA after winning the 2023 Assembly polls on a BJP ticket. He completed his post graduation in Bengali from Tripura University in 2004.
He was engaged with the BJP's organisational work in West Bengal for a long period, after which he was made the party general secretary in Tripura in 2021.
This is the second time in two years when the BJP-led state government has expanded its cabinet after coming back to power in 2023.
In March last year, TIPRA Motha party MLAs Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma were sworn in as minister and minister of state, a day after the party joined the BJP-IPFT government.
Of the 60 members in the Tripura legislative assembly, 32 are from the BJP, one from IPFT who is also serving as minister in the cabinet, 13 MLAs from TIPRA Motha, 10 from the CPIM and three from the Congress.
Currently, among 12 seats in the state cabinet, nine are occupied by BJP lawmakers, one by the TIPRA Motha and one by IPFT.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
31 minutes ago
- The Print
BJD demands apology as BJP MLA's remarks trigger political storm in Odisha, FIRs filed
Khatua, a lawmaker from Nilgiri assembly constituency in Balasore district, in a statement to certain television channels allegedly made 'derogatory' remarks on Samantasinghar's character. BJD's senior general secretary and spokesperson Lekhashree Samantasinghar has also drawn the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tagging a letter in her X post. Bhubaneswar, Jul 3 (PTI) Ruling BJP MLA Santosh Khatua on Thursday courted controversy after allegedly making 'derogatory' remarks against a prominent woman BJD leader, prompting a strong backlash and a demand for an apology from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the saffron party. Meanwhile, at least three FIRs were filed at Nilgiri police station on Thursday evening by separate persons — including two women — accusing Khatua of making derogatory and objectionable remarks against the woman. 'Dear Modi Ji @narendramodi, Please listen to your MLA from Odisha talking about women politicians. This is true blood BJP neta giving true salute to women,' Samantasinghar wrote. 'I know you have very competent and intelligent Odia officers in @PMOIndia and Party. Please ask them to translate for you. After listening to it, we will see if you still have the motivation to talk about 'naari ka samman' or 'Operation Sindoor'.' 'Your promise for women will sound hollow if you fail to take action against such misogynistic elected representatives,' Samantasinghar stated. The controversy started from a press conference by Samantasinghar on Wednesday, where she accused Khatua of involvement in the killing of a tusker and theft of its tusks in Balasore's Nilgiri area on June 15. She also called the BJP MLA a 'thief' and a 'dacoit.' In what appeared to be a retaliatory statement made to certain television channels, Khatua allegedly made remarks on Samantasinghar's character, which were widely condemned. Attempts to contact the Nilgiri legislator failed as his phone remained switched off after the interview. Khatua's remarks, which went viral in social media, sparked a statewide outrage over the language used by a lawmaker. However, PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video. Leader of the opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik strongly denounced the BJP MLA's remark and called upon people to oppose such kind of words against a woman. 'Otherwise, as a state, we will fail before our daughters and mothers,' he said. In a post on X, Patnaik said: 'Attempting to assassinate a woman's character in public as a political response is a reflection of a sick mentality and is aimed at suppressing women's voices. It suggests that all women should remain silent. The most distressing aspect is the profound silence of BJP leaders.' He added, 'Not a single leader has come forward to condemn such reprehensible remarks or hold the MLA accountable. This behaviour and the silence of all concerned clearly reveal the stance of the ruling party in public.' At a press conference on Thursday, Pramila Mallik, the Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Assembly and BJD senior vice-president, condemned Khatua's comments and accused the BJP of obstructing women's participation in politics. 'BJP MLA Khatua has used extremely hateful, ugly, insulting and low-quality language towards Dr. Lekhashree Samantasinghar. If such language is used against a woman, it is never acceptable in a civilised society,' Mallik said. 'There are also women leaders and elected women representatives in the BJP. Has the BJP, which claims to be a party with a difference, trained its MLAs to speak this way about women?' she asked. Mallik further asserted that the remarks were not just personal but an affront to all women, and demanded a public apology. 'Khatua's remarks are not directed at one woman alone—they are an insult to the entire women fraternity. Therefore, CM Mohan Charan Majhi and the BJP must apologise to the women of Odisha,' she added. Responding to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal defended Khatua, claiming that he is being falsely implicated in the elephant poaching case. 'Nilgiri MLA is being falsely dragged into the elephant killing case. The BJD has done a PhD in making false allegations,' Biswal said in a statement. He added that four people have already been arrested in connection with the elephant deaths at Kuldiha Sanctuary, and those apprehended were habitual offenders. 'Even during the BJD's tenure, elephants were killed. This is nothing but a conspiracy to malign the image of BJP legislators,' he alleged. PTI AAM MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
No fight with Muslims: New Bengal BJP chief
KOLKATA: BJP "is not fighting Muslims... and the state's plurality needs to be saved", Samik Bhattacharya said Thursday, soon after taking over as the party's new state president. "There is a conscious effort to divide Bengal on the basis of religion. The minority community should understand we are not fighting against them. We are fighting against the forces that shove stones in their boys' hands. We want to replace thosestones with books. We want to replace the swords in their hands with pens," he said. Bhattacharya's line contrasts sharply with the shrill anti-Muslim pitch adopted by his BJP colleague and assembly opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, and comes after his party's abject defeat in Kaliganj assembly bypoll. Kaliganj is a Muslim-majority constituency in Nadia. BJP was the only party that saw its vote share dip (from 31% in 2021 to 28.2% now), prompting TMC to emphasise how BJP had failed to hold on to even its majority community votes. It remains to be seen whether Bhattacharya's party colleagues keep up their anti-Muslim pitch even as he takes a conciliatory approach, which would indicate the party has hit on a good cop-bad cop strategy with Bengal's approximately 2.5 crore Muslim voters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "Look at Bengal's villages. Morchhe Musalman, marchhe Musalman (Muslims are killing and Muslims are dying). Who is responsible for this situation? Those who do not like BJP may not vote for us. But they should accept that 90% of the people killed in the last three years have been Muslims," he said. "BJP wants visarjan and Muharram processions to walk side by side without any malice against each other. We do not want riots. We want the minority youth to know Bengal through the eyes of Syed Mujtaba Ali and Kazi Nazrul Islam, not terrorists. We want to save Bengal's plurality," Bhattacharya said while the Bengal BJP leadership and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were on the dais.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
BJP leader seeks govt assistance to rain-hit farmers
Pic: Former ZP member and former president of the BJP district unit, Siddaraj Kalkoti, handed over a petition to ADC L Nagaraj to address various demands of farmers on Thursday in Haveri Haveri: Former zilla panchayat member and ex-president of the BJP district unit, Siddaraj Kalkoti, urged the govt to provide assistance to farmers in Haveri taluk who were affected by heavy rainfall over the past two months. After submitting a memorandum to the additional deputy commissioner in Haveri on Thursday, he spoke to reporters about the agricultural communities across the district, including Haveri taluk, impacted by heavy rain. Farmers initiated the sowing of crops like maize, soybean, cotton, and groundnut during the pre-monsoon. The continuous rainfall and heavy showers during April, May, and June caused yellow disease and rot in the planted crops. "The crops were completely destryed in approximately 19 villages near Haveri taluk, including Handiganur, Kittur, Koradur, Melmuri, Halagi, Marol, Maradur, Negalur, Akkur, and others. Numerous farmers are currently incorporating their damaged crops back into the soil using tractors and bullocks," he shared. He highlighted that farmers invested more than Rs 10,000 per acre towards seeds, fertilisers, and labour expenses. Their agricultural investments proved unproductive, causing financial difficulties due to existing loans. The circumstances require swift govt action. Farmers need to begin fresh sowing during the monsoon, but lack financial resources. "The govt should conduct damage assessment and provide interim compensation of at least Rs 10,000 per acre. Additionally, authorities should facilitate the insurance claim process to ensure farmers receive their entitled compensation," Siddaraj demanded. The BJP leader pointed out additional concerns about farmers receiving poor quality seeds with low germination rates and a fertiliser shortage in the district. These problems need immediate resolution to prevent further farmer hardships. Haveri district presently has the highest farmer suicide rate in the state. "Govt intervention is essential to restore farmer confidence and prevent such tragic outcomes," he urged.