Agartala: The name of BJP MLA Rampada Jamatia has been proposed for the post of Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Friday, filling the vacancy created after the death of former Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen late last year.
Jamatia, a senior tribal leader of the ruling party and MLA from the Bagma constituency in Gomati district, was chosen for the post after the passing away of former Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen.
The Speaker’s post had remained vacant since December 26, 2025, following the demise of Sen, who represented the Dharmanagar constituency and was serving as the presiding officer of the House.
Jamatia’s name for the post was proposed by the BJP legislative party during a meeting held at the official residence of Chief Minister Manik Saha ahead of the budget session of the Assembly.
Following the decision, Chief Minister Saha, Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Paul, Chief Whip Kalyani Roy, and legislators from the BJP and its allies congratulated Jamatia.
Saha expressed confidence that Jamatia’s political experience and leadership would help ensure the smooth functioning of the Assembly, according to official sources.
Jamatia, a veteran politician, has previously served as a minister in the Tripura government and has been elected to the Assembly from the Bagma (ST) constituency in both the 2018 and 2023 elections.
He had also held portfolios including tribal welfare and industries in earlier governments and was associated with the Jamatia Hoda, a traditional body of the Jamatia community.
With his election, Jamatia will become the second leader from the tribal community to occupy the Speaker’s chair in the state Assembly, after former CPI(M) leader Sudhanva Debbarma.
The election of the Speaker is scheduled to be held on March 18.
Tipra Motha Party supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman congratulated Jamatia after his name was nominated for the post.
“I would like to congratulate Rampada Jamatia as the new Speaker in the Tripura Assembly. Those who question our support as being along community lines should realise that even Shiv Sena supported Pratibha Patil because she was from Maharashtra, or Mamata Banerjee supported Pranab Mukherjee as a presidential candidate as he was from Bengal. Today, for the first time, we have a LoP, Bg Jitendra Choudhury, and now a Speaker, Rampada Jamatia, from the Tiprasa community together. While they may not belong to our party, they do belong to our community,” Debbarman wrote.
A Business Advisory Committee meeting was convened on Friday to decide the schedule of the Speaker’s election. In all likelihood, the election will be conducted on March 18.