BJP state president and Rajya Sabha nominee of the party Dr Manik Saha has won the elections to the higher camera of the Parliament on Thursday. He defeated Left Front nominee and CPM MLA from Bishalgarh Bhanulal Saha by 25 votes.
Officials said the elections to the lone Rajya Sabha began at 9 am in the morning at Assembly Hall and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Opposition Leader Manik Sarkar , Speaker Ratan Chakrabarty , all ministers. In total 55 legislators out of total 60 seats cast their vote. Former BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Barman, Ashish Saha had resigned from the MLA ship while Asish Das , another BJP MLA had been expelled under anti defection law. CPM MLA and former Speaker Ramendra Debnath had expeired recently while IPFT MLA Brishaketu Debbarma remained absent -though his resignation letter was not yet accepted. CPM Nominee Bhanulal Saha got 15 votes, Dr Saha got 40 votes.
Given the strength of the BJP and IPFT combine in the state assembly the victory of Dr Saha, an eminent maxillofacial surgeon and professor at Tripura Medical College, was a foregone conclusion. However, yet the BJP Chief Whip Kalyani Roy had issued whip to the party MLAs to vote for Dr Saha on Wednesday. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also held meeting with all BJP and IPFT MLAs and discussed the elections.
Dr Saha apart from being an eminent doctor and professor is also a sportsman of yesteryears. He is also president of the Tripura Cricket Association.
