Sixth LF govt to exclude three and include four

Agartala, Mar 9 (UNI) CPI(M) state committee has excluded sixth term winner of Tripura assembly and sitting minister Keshab Majumdar from the cabinet in the sixth Left Front government, to be sworn tomorrow.

Announcing the party decision, CPI(M) Secretary Baidyanath Majumdar said here today that two MLAs, including him had not been given berths in the new government. ''Party wants to offer opportunity to the new young generation,'' he added.

Mr Majumdar was a heavy weight minister since the Left Front regime in 1993 and won the elections since 1983 from Kakraban constituency in South Tripura. He was the education minister in fifth Left Front govenment and health minister in the fourth Left Front government. He was however, allegedly involved in various scams, which could cause his downfall.

Besides, Mr Majumdar the party has also kept out another veteran communist from minority community Fayzur Rahaman from the new ministry. He was also a successful candidate of CPI (M) for sixth term since 1983 from Kurti Constituency in North Tripura. Mr Rahaman had been a minister since 1993.

Another, Tribal Minister from Simna in West Tripura Pranab Debbarma was also not given a berth in the new ministry. He was elected to the assembly in 1998 for the first time and became minister in 2003.

At the same time, three other prospective candidates of the party former minister Pabitra Kar from Khyerpur of outskirt Agartala, veteran Marxist and fourth time winner from Khowai in West Tripura and veteran tribal leader and former minister Niranjan Debbarma did not get any berth in the ministry.

However, Mr Manik Sarkar will continue as Chief Minister for third successive time for the Tripura Left Front ministry. The composition of the twelve-member ministry was finalised in the party's secretariat meeting today.

Disclosing the names to be inducted in the new ministry Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said veteran tribal leader Aghore Debbarma was included in the new ministry. Veteran Information minister Anil Sarkar, who has been a critical heart patient for a long time, was also included in the new ministry.

Three new faces to get berth in the Manik Sarkar Ministry are Md Sahid Choudhuri, Jaygobinda Debroy (RSP) and Bijita Nath while other members of the sixth LF ministry are Badal Choudhuri, Tapan Chakraborty, Manik Dey, Jitendra Choudhuri, Khagendra Jamatia and Manindra Reang of CPI. Ramendra Debnath and Bhanulal Saha have been nominated as speaker and deputy speaker respectably.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) Secretary Baidyanath Majumdar said the traditional victory rally would be held at Stable ground on March 11 at 1400 hrs CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat was expected to attend the rally.

CPI(M)-led Left Front government headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is to assume office for the fourth consecutive term on March 10. Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahaya would administer the oath of office and secrecy to the 59-year-old Marxist leader and his council of ministers at a function at the Raj Bhavan tomorrow afternoon.

CPI(M)-led Left Front on March 7 pulled off an emphatic victory for the fourth consecutive term winning 49 seats in the 60-member legislature and routing the main opposition Congress, which secured only ten seats. Its poll partner Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) bagged only one seat.

In the previous assembly election in 2003, the Left Front won in 41 seats followed by the Congress with 13 and its ally INPT with six. The Left Front has been in power in Tripura since 1978, barring one term (1988-1993).

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