AGARTALA, August 9 (TIWN): When Prime Minister Narendra Modi government contemplates for minimum government and maximum governance, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in his maiden meeting with Modi on Friday demanded amendment of the Constitution Act, 2003 to expand the size of his cabinet. According to sources, with the growing political dissidence in CPI-M over power from village Panchayat to assembly, Manik Sarkar is believed to raise the issue of cabinet expansion just to accommodate his yes MLAs in the cabinet in the back drop of balance representation of all communities and gender.

The party has been suffering from internal squabble because of non-accommodating the senior party members like Subal Rudra, Sudhan Das, Madhav Saha, Faizyur Rahaman, Pabitra Kar and Samir Deb Sarkar in the new government led by Manik Sarkar last year. Moreover, in most populist decision of the government to reserve 50 percent village Panchayat seats for women where in practice, the local level CPI-M leaders and close associates of Manik lobby are running the show behind.

But in the cabinet only woman Bijita Nath was accommodated out of five women MLAs where not even 33 percent was not maintained. In second term minister Bijita is appeared as most frustrated and inefficient in the cabinet, so far her performance and understanding are concerned. And most recently, she was allegedly misguided by the corrupt officials taking the advantage of her close association with Manik Sarkar.

In contrary, Bijoy Laxmi Sinha, widow of late minister Bimal Sinha and Rita Kar Chowdhury were appeared to be the better choice before the party after last assembly election but reportedly, Sarkar did not agree with rather prefered to go ahead with Bijita Nath. Recently, the issue of exclusion of Bijita Nath, Manik Dey, Aghore Debbarma and one of the two ministers from Gomoti district – Naresh Jamatia and Ratan Bhowmik was gained momentum and demand to include Bijoy Laxmi, Rita Kar Chowdhury, Pranab Debbarma and Pabitra Kar in the cabinet has got prominence but unfortunately none of them are not in preference list of Manik Sarkar, said party insiders.

With the rise of BJP influence in the state after Modi’s assumption in power at the centre, Manik Sarkar and his associates in the party are reportedly started re-thinking over the choice and sending most prolific minister Jitendra Chaudhury to Loksabha and given more responsibility to Bhanu Lal Saha has compounded the sentiment within the party.

Sakar’s demand to PM Modi to have at least 15 ministers in the cabinet in small states by suitable amendment of the Constitution considering the proposition of democratic spirit of the elected government is believed to be an interim measure to manage the dissidence in the party.

According to officials, Sarkar flagged the negative political implications of the Act and argued, in 60 –members assembly Tripura was allowed only 12 ministers (20%) but it could not represent all class, caste and community in the cabinet. He demanded at least to make a balance representation of all section in the state like Tripura; further amendment to the provisions of 91st amendment of the Constitution is become essential and in Tripura at present needs at least 15 ministers instead of existing 12.

In 91st amendment to the Constitution in 2003 had downsized the state cabinet following estimation of the then finance ministry that at least Rs 1.5 Cr was spending every year on a minister in a state government. Accordingly, all the state downsize the state cabinet in 2004 and 260 ministers had been axed to save Rs 390 Cr per annum.