Speculation rife in ruling party circles over election or nomination of next Speaker of the assembly

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, February 9, 2026

The BJP yesterday held a high level organisational meeting to discuss a number of important issues including the upcoming election to the ADC and the budget session of the state assembly. What actually transpired in the meeting ,attended by chief minister Dr Manik Saha, minister for power and agriculture like Ratan Lal Nath , BJP state president Rajiv Bhattacharjee and a host of other stalwarts of the state party, is not known. But with the budget session of the state assembly just round the corner the question that has come to the fore is the election or nomination of a new speaker who will conduct the proceedings.

Sources in the BJP said that a panel of three names has been finalised and sent to the central party authority for approval but whose names figure in the proposed list is not known. It is learned that veteran BJP MLA and known Hindutwa warrior Rampada Jamatya who was in the forefront of the fabled Jamatya ‘Hoda’s fight against militant interference in the religious affairs of the state and coercive conversion of Hindu tribals to Christianity, figures prominently at the stop of the list of three names . The deputy speaker Ramprasad Paul who acquitted himself very well as acting speaker in the monsoon session of the assembly with his fairness and relative impartiality following the death of erstwhile speaker Bishwabandhu Sen is reportedly unwilling to take up the post of full-time Speaker in the interest of his future political career. But sources could not say what the third name in the panel is but added that it is possible that veteran Rampada Jamatya may be the next full-time speaker.

Apart from this the opposition Congress and CPI (M) are also keen to know who the next speaker will be as this will have a bearing on the proceedings and their participation. The opposition is also concerned over the reduction in working days of the assembly. They pointed out that the reduction in working days had started from the days of second left front (1983-1988) but now this has reached a serious point , despite the recommendation made in the conclave of speakers of assemblies that working days in state assemblies should be at least 60 days a year but this has never been followed anywhere in the country. Sources in the assembly said that before the commencement of the upcoming budget session a fresh demand will be raised in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) for at least a 10-day session but since the BAC is dominated by ruling party , the final decision will depend on their support and consent to the proposal.

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