AGARTALA: Senior BJP leader and Tripura MLA Atul Debbarma has quit the saffron party.

Tripura MLA Atul Debbarma resigned from the BJP after being denied ticket by the party to contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

However, Debbarma filed nomination as an independent candidate from Krishnapur assembly constituency in Khowai district of Tripura.

Besides quitting the BJP, Atul Debbarma has also resigned as an MLA of the Tripura ;legislative assembly.

“I have sent my resignation to the Tripura Speaker. I have also quit the BJP,” informed Atul Debbarma.

Notably, the Tripura BJP dumped Atul Debbarma and instead fielded Bikash Debbarma – a local tribal leader – from Krishnapur assembly constituency.

Also read: 305 candidates file nominations for Tripura assembly polls

It may be mentioned here that as many as 305 candidates, including Tripura chief Minister Manik Saha, deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma, Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, filed nomination for the assembly elections.

Polling for the elections to the 60-member Tripura legislative assembly will be held in a single phase on February 16.

Counting of votes will be held on March 2.