Tripura cabinet expansion ‘likely’ with less than 2yrs to go before polls

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb inducted eight ministers in 2018, while keeping home, general administration, PWD, labour, information and cultural affairs, industry and commerce portfolios with himself.

More than three years after coming to power in Tripura following the defeat of the two decades old Marxist government, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition government is planning to induct new faces in the state cabinet, people in the party privy to the development said on condition of anonymity.

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb may keep 2023 assembly elections in mind while expanding his cabinet. (PTI)

“There’s a possibility of a state cabinet reshuffle. It may happen in a day or may take even ten days,” the people quoted above said.

The reshuffle, if it happens, will address the coalition objectives of 2023 assembly elections. Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb inducted eight ministers in 2018, while keeping home, general administration, PWD, labour, information and cultural affairs, industry and commerce portfolios with him.

Later, in 2019, Sudip Roy Barman, who was the health minister, was dropped from the cabinet following alleged anti-party activities and Deb, himself, took over the charge. Four cabinet berths are still vacant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too recently carried out an expansion of his cabinet, with nearly three years left for the next Lok Sabha polls.

Biplab Kumar Deb recently visited New Delhi and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss his government’s initiative for economic development through Agar cultivation and requested a larger quota for its export.

The state is expecting to export 75,000 kilograms of Agar chips and 1,500 kilograms of Agar oil in 2021-22 fiscal year.