Another BJP MLA, Diba Chandra Hrangkhawal, resigns in Tripura

Agartala: BJP MLA Diba Chandra Hrangkhawal resigned from the assembly on Wednesday, becoming the seventh legislator of the ruling coalition in the state to quit this year.

Hrangkhawal, a tribal MLA of Karamcherra in Dhalai, cited personal reasons for his resignation, months ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

"Today, I have submitted my resignation as an MLA to the secretary of the assembly as speaker Ratan Chakraborty was not present. I have resigned on personal grounds," he told reporters.

Hrangkhawal, who was the president of the state Congress, switched over to the BJP just before the 2018 assembly elections.

"I have not decided yet on my next course of action but will obviously remain in politics since I am a political person," he said.

Hrangkhawal was accompanied to the assembly by senior state Congress leader Asish Kumar Saha, who had resigned as a BJP MLA earlier this year.

With this, the BJP lost four of its MLAs this year. Besides Saha, legislators Sudip Roy Barman and Burbo Mohan Tripura also resigned earlier this year. MLA Asish Das of Surma constituency was disqualified for his alleged misconduct.

The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a constituent of the BJP-led government, also lost three of its MLAs -- Dhananjoy Tripura, Brishaketu Debbarma and Mevar Kumar Jamatia. The resignations of Dhananjoy Tripura and Mevar Kumar Jamatia were accepted by the speaker but Brishaketu was disqualified on the account of "procedural fault".

BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty told PTI that Hrangkhawal was ailing for a long and was not being able to perform his duties.

"This will not impact the party's prospect in the ensuing assembly election," he claimed.

The BJP has 34 MLAs in the 60-member assembly, while its ally IPFT has five. The opposition Congress has one MLA and CPI(M) has 15 legislators, while five seats are vacant.