Six former TMC MLAs who joined BJP yet to be officially recognised, Tripura Speaker tells Assembly

Agartala: Tripura Speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath told the house on Tuesday that the six TMC MLAs who joined BJP are yet to be recognized officially. The six MLAs, who had joined BJP in August, had formally handed over a letter to the Speaker on 8 November requesting him to officially recognise them as BJP legislators. The six legislators – Diba Chandra Hramkhawl, Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Saha, Pranjit Singha Roy, Dilip Sarkar and Biswa Bandhu Sen met the Speaker and also told him that they had snapped all relations with the TMC and joined BJP. State revenue minister Badal Chowdhury said in the Assembly that the six MLAs, who are recognized as Trinamool Congress legislators, are advocating in favour of BJP and should clear their position. [caption id=“attachment_4209835” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “You had been elected as Congress MLAs, joined Trinamool Congress and later shifted to BJP. You are aya rams and gaya rams and have polluted democracy," Chowdhury said pointing his finger at the six MLAs. Sudip Roy Barman, who is among the six legislators sought a clarification from the Speaker on the question put by the revenue minister. To this the Speaker said six MLAs had met him in his office a few days before the Assembly session and informed him that they had decided to join BJP. “In reply, I clearly said that I can’t give any official order before completion of the official procedure that needs reply from Trinamool Congress and opinion of legal experts. So you are yet to be recognized officially as BJP MLAs,” he said. To this Roy Barman shot back “Under the provision of 10th Schedule, we have the right and privilege to say that we are BJP MLA. If you don’t treat us as BJP MLAs, then I will be compelled to say you are working in favour of the ruling party." At one point of time, the six MLAs rushed to the well of the House and raised slogan against the Speaker. The six legislators were originally elected to the Tripura Assembly in 2013 on Congress party tickets. They joined the TMC in June 2016. At present the ruling Left Front has 51 MLAs in the 60-member house.