Tripura CM Manik Saha has allocated three key departments Panchayat, Higher Education, and General Administration (Political) to newly inducted minister Kishor Barman. The BJP MLA from Nalchar expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to rural welfare and educational development in the state.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Friday assigned three important departments Panchayat, Higher Education, and General Administration (Political) to newly inducted cabinet minister Kishor Barman, signaling a strategic move to strengthen the state administration through fresh leadership.
According to an official notification issued by Chief Secretary Jitendra Kumar Sinha, the allocation of these departments was approved by the Governor of Tripura on the advice of the Chief Minister. All three departments were earlier held by Chief Minister Saha himself.
Kishor Barman, a first-time MLA from the Nalchar Assembly constituency in Sepahijala district, took oath as a cabinet minister on July 3. Barman, 45, is known for his grassroots connection and prior organisational experience with the BJP in both West Bengal and Tripura. His induction is seen as part of a broader strategy to bring new energy into the council of ministers and widen the BJP’s administrative footprint ahead of future elections.
Speaking to media after the allocation, Barman expressed his happiness and gratitude to the Chief Minister for entrusting him with significant responsibilities. “I am thankful to the Chief Minister for his trust. These departments will allow me to work directly for the development of our education system and the welfare of rural communities. Serving people at the grassroots level has always been close to my heart,” said Barman.
Before joining Tripura politics in 2018, Barman was associated with the BJP’s North Bengal unit. His quick rise within the party ranks — from state general secretary to a cabinet minister — reflects the party’s confidence in his capabilities.
The portfolio allocation marks the second cabinet expansion since the formation of the BJP-IPFT coalition government under Saha’s leadership in March 2023. On July 3, Barman was sworn in during this expansion, which came a year after the first phase of ministerial reshuffle that saw the inclusion of Tipra Motha Party (TMP) MLAs Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma into the cabinet on March 7, 2024.
The TMP, led by royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, had initially contested the 2023 Assembly elections independently but later joined the ruling alliance after signing a tripartite agreement with the Central government and the state of Tripura. The agreement is believed to have paved the way for TMP’s participation in governance, bringing in stronger tribal representation in the council of ministers.
Currently, the BJP-IPFT coalition holds a comfortable majority in the 60-member state assembly. The BJP alone secured 32 seats in the 2023 elections, while the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) won one seat. The IPFT is represented in the cabinet by Sukla Charan Noatia.
The TMP, in its electoral debut in 2023, contested 42 seats and emerged as the second-largest party in the state by winning 13 seats. The Left-Congress alliance, which also contested the elections, won a combined total of 14 seats — 11 by the CPI(M) and 3 by the Congress. Their seat-sharing strategy, however, failed to dent the BJP’s dominance in the state.
Observers believe that the allocation of significant portfolios to Kishor Barman signals the BJP’s attempt to groom newer faces for long-term leadership. It is also expected to improve outreach in rural areas, especially through the Panchayat department, which is crucial for last-mile governance and implementation of state-sponsored schemes.
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Barman’s stewardship of the Higher Education department also assumes importance as Tripura aims to enhance the quality of its academic institutions and increase digital access to education in rural and tribal regions.
As the Tripura government continues to expand its leadership and bring in partners like the TMP into its governing fold, political analysts predict a reshaping of the state’s power dynamics in the coming years.
