Will Tripura get its first woman CM? All you need to know about Pratima Bhoumik

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies achieved a stunning triumph in the Northeast. The party retained its power in Tripura by winning 33 seats in the 60-member assembly. The next big question is about who will be the Tripura CM.

However, now there is widespread speculation that Pratima Bhoumik, who is currently the Union Minister of State for Empowerment and Social Justice, was reportedly being considered for the top position in the state by the BJP.

If appointed, Bhoumik will be the region's first female chief minister in its history.

Who is Pratima Bhoumik?

Pratima Bhoumik popularly known as 'Pratima di' is currently serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, representing the Tripura West constituency. Bhoumik is known to be a close confidante of Tripura CM Biplab Deb.

Bhoumik was born on 4 November 1975 in Agartala, Tripura. She comes from a humble background, and practises farming. She completed her schooling in Agartala and graduated with a degree in Political Science from MBB College in Agartala. She later pursued a Master's degree in Public Administration from IGNOU.

Bhoumik began her political career as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP. She then joined the BJP and held various positions in the party's state unit in Tripura before being elected as an MP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

As an MP, Bhoumik has been actively involved in various parliamentary committees, including the Standing Committee on Commerce and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Women and Child Development. She has also been a vocal advocate for the development of her constituency and the state of Tripura, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, and tourism.

Bhoumik is known for her work in promoting the culture and heritage of Tripura and has actively supported various initiatives to preserve and showcase the state's traditional art and craft forms. She has also been a strong advocate for women's rights and empowerment and has worked towards improving access to healthcare and education for women and girls in her constituency.

In 2018, Bhoumik contested against former Tripura chief minister Sarkar in the assembly polls. She lost by a small margin of little more than 3,000 votes. In 2019, she won Tripura West parliamentary seat by a huge margin.