Ahead of the Tripura Assembly Election 2023, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had declared incumbent Chief Minister Manik Saha as its CM face. However, reports are now hinting at a change in the BJP's plan with a new possible candidate emerging for the post now that the assembly polls are over.

Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik, who won Tripura's Dhanpur assembly constituency, could be a contender for the chief ministerial post in Tripura, sources told News 18.

Bhowmik is currently the Minister of State Social Justice and Empowerment. She contested the Dhanpur seat against CPM's Kaushik Chanda, TMC's Habil Mia, Tipra Motha's Amiya Dayal Noatia and two independent candidates Bappi Debnath and Rakesh Sukla Das.

She won the constituency defeating Kaushik Chanda by 3500 votes as the results for the Tripura assembly elections was declared on Thursday.

Why BJP may elect Pratima Bhowmik as CM?

The BJP has been focusing on women as a support base. According to the Indian Express, women voters played a "significant role in the BJP’s return to power" in Tripura despite witnessing a setback in tribal-dominated areas.

Notably, this time, women voters had outnumbered men in exercising their franchise in the assembly elections.

The BJP emerged victorious in the Tripura Assembly Elections, winning 32 of the 60 seats. Its ally, IPFT, won just one seat.

According to the Election Commission of India, there were over 28.14 lakh registered voters this year. As many as 89.17 percent of the 13,99,289 women voters and 86.12 percent of the 14,15,233 men voters had turned out to vote in the Tripura elections, reports said. Hence, the women voter share was higher.

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Meanwhile, BJP sources to The Indian Express that the national leadership was contemplating appointing Bhoumik for the top job to "send the right message to the northeastern region as well as to the entire nation" ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The report also quoted a senior leader as saying the possibility of a woman chief minister cannot be ruled out. "The Centre can move Manik Saha to the central government if it decides to appoint her," the leader said.

Who is Pratima Bhowmik?

Bhowmik has been a BJP stalwart in Tripura for decades. She has been with the BJP since 1991. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Science from Women's College in Agartala, the capital city of Tripura.

Within a year of joining the BJP, Bhowmik was made a member of the BJP Tripura State Committee. In 1992, she was made the head of the Dhanpur Mandal.

Rising through the ranks, Bhowmik served as the vice president of the Tripura State BJP Mahila Morcha, as well as, the party’s state youth wing. She was also the BJP Pradesh Vice President for two terms.

Ahead of the 2018 elections, Bhowmik was named the BJP Tripura General Secretary.

In 2019, Bhowmik contested the Lok Sabha elections from the West Tripura constituency and won by a margin of over 3 lakh votes. She is the first woman MP from the BJP in Tripura. When she was included in the Union Cabinet, she became the first permanent resident of the state to become a Union Minister.

The union minister is known for her simple lifestyle and down-to-earth nature. Coming from a family of farmers, she is seen as an active participant in her community, earning the nickname ‘Didi’.

Bhowmik has been involved in various social and cultural activities in Tripura, particularly in promoting the traditional art and culture of the state. She has also been vocal in her support for the rights of women and minorities in the state.

If appointed the CM, the Union minister will become the first woman chief minister in the Northeast.

First Published:Mar 3, 2023 4:19 PM IST