Tripura LoP Jitendra Choudhury replaces ex-CM Manik Sarkar as CPI(M) politburo member

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and CPI(M) Tripura State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury on Sunday replaced former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in the party's politburo, becoming the third communist leader from the state to have become a member of the party's highest policy-making body.

After the CPI(M)’s 24th party Congress, held in Madurai (Tamil Nadu), the Left party on Sunday announced an 85-member Central Committee and 18-member politburo, including two women leaders – U. Vasuki and Mariam Dhawale.

Former ministers Manik Dey, Naresh Jamatia, Ratan Bhowmik and woman leader Krishna Rakshit found a place in the 85-member central committee from Tripura, while four leaders were dropped from the body on health grounds and age bar.

Former Tripura Chief Ministers Nripen Chakraborty (1978 to 1988) and Manik Sarkar (1998 to 2018) had earlier served as politburo members before Chaudhury, who is the only tribal leader from the state to become a member of the CPI-M’s highest policymaking body.

Manik Sarkar, who is already 76 years old, stepped down from his position as politburo member as the party introduced a 75-year upper age limit in 2022 for retirement from major leadership positions, including the politburo and central committee.

Jitendra Choudhury, 67, who became CPI(M) Tripura state secretary in September 2021 after the passing away of his predecessor Goutam Das, had earlier served for four terms as minister in successive Manik Sarkar cabinets from 1993 to 2014.

Choudhury is the second tribal leader to become the state Secretary of CPI(M) in Tripura after former Chief Minister Dasaratha Deb, who, along with another former Chief Minister Nripen Chakraborty, were the father figures of the Left movement in Tripura.

Choudhury, who was inducted into the CPI(M) party in 1981 after leading the mass movement for many years, was the Forest, Information and Cultural Affairs and Tribal Welfare Minister for several years in the Left Front government headed by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

A former Chief Whip of CPI(M) group in Lok Sabha, Jitendra Choudhury is also the national Convener of the party-backed Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch, and President of the party-affiliated tribal body, Tripura Rajya Upajati Ganamukti Parishad.