Mriganka Deo Barman has been given charge of Tripura as part of a fresh organisational reshuffle in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while former Tripura chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb has been assigned the role of Madhya Pradesh Prabhari. The changes come soon after BJP president Nitin Nabin announced a new national team.
The latest appointments place two leaders from the Northeast in important organisational roles. Mriganka Deo Barman, a BJP leader from Assam, had been appointed a national secretary in August. Deb, meanwhile, was named a national general secretary in the same organisational revamp.
Mriganka Deo Barman gets Tripura responsibility
The new assignment gives Mriganka Deo Barman responsibility for BJP organisational affairs in Tripura. His appointment comes after the party included him among its 16 national secretaries announced on August 17.
Barman has been associated with the BJP in Assam and has held organisational responsibilities in the state. His elevation to the national team marked a wider role for the Assam leader within the party structure.
Moreover, his Tripura assignment gives him responsibility in a state where the BJP has been in power since 2018. The party returned to government in the 2023 Assembly election, with Manik Saha continuing as chief minister.
Biplab Deb named MP Prabhari
Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been named Madhya Pradesh Prabhari under the latest organisational changes. The BJP leader currently represents West Tripura in the Lok Sabha.
Deb became BJP state president in Tripura in 2016. Two years later, he led the party to power in the state, ending the Left Front’s 25-year rule. He served as chief minister from 2018 until 2022.
The new Madhya Pradesh responsibility adds to his organisational role at the national level. The BJP had appointed Deb as one of its eight national general secretaries in August.
BJP expands organisational roles
The appointments follow the BJP’s wider restructuring under Nitin Nabin. The party announced 13 national vice-presidents, eight national general secretaries and 16 national secretaries in August.
The new team included several leaders with experience in state organisation and election management. It also gave the Northeast representation through Deb, Barman and Nagaland Rajya Sabha MP S. Phangnon Konyak.
Additionally, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra was retained as the party’s Northeast coordinator. Rajiv Babbar was appointed joint Northeast coordinator.
Tripura remains important for BJP
The latest changes come as the BJP continues to strengthen its organisational structure across states. Tripura remains an important part of the party’s Northeast strategy after its breakthrough victory in the state in 2018.
The party has since retained power in Tripura. In the 2023 Assembly election, the BJP-led alliance formed the government, with Manik Saha serving as chief minister.
Therefore, the appointment of a new organisational leader for Tripura comes against the backdrop of the BJP’s continued focus on maintaining its network and political presence in the state.
New roles for Northeast leaders
The appointments also highlight the growing organisational responsibilities being assigned to leaders from the Northeast. Barman’s move from a national secretary role to the Tripura charge gives him a state-level responsibility beyond Assam.
Meanwhile, Deb’s move to Madhya Pradesh gives the former Tripura chief minister a role outside his home state. His experience in Tripura’s BJP organisation and his current position as a national general secretary add to the significance of the assignment.
Overall, the latest changes form part of the BJP’s continuing organisational restructuring under Nitin Nabin. The new responsibilities for Mriganka Deo Barman and Biplab Deb are expected to bring two Northeast leaders into more direct organisational work across different states.
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