Manik Sarkar swears in as Tripura Chief Minister

Agartala, Mar 10: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Manik Sarkar on Monday took oath as the Tripura Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive time.

Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahaya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarkar and 11 others at a function at the Raj Bhavan here. "We shall continue our efforts to uplift the standard of living of the people, specially those living below the poverty line and make Tripura a model state in the country," Sarkar told reporters. The Left Front has been in power in Tripura since 1978, barring one term, 1988-1993. Besides Sarkar, the others who took oath are Anil Sarkar, Badal Chowdhury, Aghore Debbarma, Tapan Chakraborty, Manik Dey, Jitendra Chowdhury, Khagendra Jamatia, Sahid Chowdhury, Bijita Nath, Joy Gobinda Deb Roy and Manindra Reang. CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, and party politburo member Brinda Karat, state committee secretary Baidyanath Majumder, senior party leaders and top officials attended the swearing-in ceremony. 59-year-old Sarkar started his political career with the food movement in 1967. He became a member of CPI-M in 1968.

He was selected a member of the CPI (M) State Committee in 1972. He became a member of the Party Central Committee in 1985. Later, he was appointed as the State Left Front Convener and the State Secretary of the CPI (M).

Sarkar was elected from the Dhanpur Assembly Constituency in 1998 Tripura elections. He became member of the CPI (M) politburo in 1998. He has served as the Chief Minister of Tripura since March 1998.

The main opposition Congress party has secured only 10 seats while its poll partner Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) bagged only one seat.

ANI