2 BJP MLAs resign from Tripura Assembly

Agartala: BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha on Monday resigned from the Tripura assembly, and also gave up the membership of their party.

Roy Barman and Saha met Speaker Ratan Chakraborty and handed over their resignation letters in the morning.

"Roy Barman and Saha called on me and submitted their resignation letters. I have asked the Secretary of Tripura Legislative Assembly to examine the resignation letters. I will accept their resignations only if their letters are as per the parameters laid down in the Business of Conduct of the assembly," Chakraborty said.

Roy Barman told reporters at the assembly that they will travel to New Delhi and finalise the future course of action amid speculation that they might join the Congress on Tuesday.

"I am relieved after resigning because the BJP-led government has miserably failed to live up to the expectations. Democracy has been throttled in Tripura and no one is allowed to speak," said Roy Barman, the former health minister and a known critic of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

"A 'mukhia' (headman) and some officers are running an autocratic government in Tripura where no one is there to hear the voice of the people. Ministers are not allowed to discharge their duties independently. We will bulldoze the conspiracy to hijack democracy," he said.

Roy Barman claimed the BJP-led government in the state will be reduced to minority before the next assembly elections as many MLAs are planning to leave the party "out of frustration".

Asked whether they will return to the Congress, he said, "Let's see what happens in Delhi."

Saha, the other BJP MLA, said they have also sent letters to BJP state president Manik Saha, resigning from the primary membership of the party. "We will be back in Tripura on February 12," he said.