Speaker of the Tripura Legislative assembly Ratan Chakrabarty indicated that the IPFT MLA from Simna Constituency Brishaketu Debbarma would lose his membership of the legislature.
Debbarma had some months ago joined the TIPRA Motha and sent his resignation to the Speaker. But as per the rules the MLA intending to resign had to hand over the papers personally to the Speaker- which in this case had not been done. The Speaker thus did not accept the resignation and the fate of Debbarma was kept on hanging. He was summoned to meet the Speaker to clear the position which he ignored. However, Debbarma also did not attend any assembly session after his resignation letter and even neglected the IPFT whip during the last Rajya Sabha elections which had elected Dr Manik Saha.
It was this juncture Speaker called for a final hearing on Monday and asked Debbarma to appear- which again he ignored.
“Now the matter is closed”, Speaker Ratan Chakrabarty to the media on Monday.
He said, “I have taken the final decision” and then added that the final judgment -which means cancellation of Debbarma’s MLA-ship -was kept in abeyance. The Speaker gave enough indication that Brishaketu would be expelled from the assembly.
If Brishaketu is expelled he would be the second MLA to be expelled – that too from the ruling combine.
Last year, a renegade BJP MLA Asish Das of Surma constituency was expelled for his brazen anti-party activities. Das joined the Trinamool Congress and there also he could not make much and at present passing his days in a limbo.
Debbarma on the other hand however maintained a dignified silence – he joined the TIPRA Motha and did not try to violate the rules—he did not appear before the Speaker for hearing , but at the same time also he distanced himself from the assembly works as an MLA.
