Left Congress to become CM from another party: From Mamta to Jagan and Manik Saha, the story of 8 Chief Ministers who were once side lines in the party

In Tripura, 8 months before the elections, the BJP has changed the chief minister. The party has made Dr. Manik Saha, who came from Congress in 2016, the CM of the state. Saha is not the first person to leave the Congress and become the Chief Minister. Before Saha, Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Jaganmohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), N. Biren Singh (Manipur), Neiphiu Rio (Nagaland), N. Rangaswamy (Puducherry) and Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) have become chief ministers.

Interestingly, all of them have been in Congress at one point of time and were sidelined in the party. Out of 8, 4 Chief Ministers have been made from BJP and two are from BJP’s support. Let us know the story of all these in detail…

1. Mamata Banerjee: In the 90s, the reins of Congress at the national level had come to the pair of Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari. Mamta Banerjee, who was the General Secretary of Youth Congress during Rajiv Gandhi’s time, was constantly blowing the bugle of rebellion against the high command. The then Bengal Congress President Somnath Mitra made preparations to tighten the noose on Mamta. However, the Congress had to bear the brunt and in 1998, Mamta said goodbye to the party along with some colleagues.

The picture is of 10 Janpath in New Delhi. After winning Bengal for the third time, Mamta Banerjee had come to meet Sonia Gandhi.

Mamta then formed the Trinamool Congress. Trinamool means – Connected to the ground. Some leaders who were angry with the Congress in Mamta’s party gradually started joining. In 2011, Mamta Banerjee became the Chief Minister of Bengal by overthrowing the 34-year-old Left government. Mamta first came into the limelight in 1984 by defeating stalwart Left leader Somnath Chatterjee from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat.

2. Jaganmohan Reddy: Before 2009, Jaganmohan Reddy was recognized as a strong Congress leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son, who used to campaign for his father, but after the death of his father, Jagan became fully active in politics. Jagan first requested the Congress High Command to give the reins of the state, but after not getting support, he formed his own party.

The picture is from September 4, 2009, when Congress President Sonia Gandhi went to Hyderabad on the death of Jaganmohan Reddy’s father.

From 2014 to 2019, Jagan was the Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He won a landslide victory in the 2019 assembly elections and became the Chief Minister of the state only 10 years after the death of his father. In 2012, during the Congress government, Jagan was also arrested by the CBI on an allegation of corruption. However, the leaders of Jagan’s party kept calling it a political revenge.

3. Himanta Biswa Sarma: Himanta Biswa Sarma, a minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam, joined the BJP in 2015. While leaving Congress, he had alleged that when he came to meet Rahul Gandhi, instead of listening to him, Rahul was feeding biscuits to the dog. Sarma was a minister in Tarun Gogoi’s government and was seeking to project himself for the chief minister. The Congress high command turned down his demand.

Himanta Biswa Sarma with Assam Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The BJP entrusted Sarma with the responsibility of the organization in the Assam elections and as a result, the BJP government was formed in the state for the first time in 2017. In 2017, instead of Sarma, the party made Sarbananda Sonowal the Chief Minister, but within 5 years, Sarma made a tremendous comeback. In the 2022 elections, the BJP came to power in Assam for the second time and Himanta was made the Chief Minister. Himanta is often in the headlines due to his controversial statements.

4. Neiphiu Rio, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was also a Congressman before 2002, but left the Congress after differences with the then Chief Minister SC Jamir. Rio joined the local party Naga People’s Front (NPF) and became Chief Minister for the first time in 2003. Rio also became chief minister in 2008 and 2013. However, he left the post of Chief Minister in 2014 due to his shift to National Politics.

Neiphiu Rio, who was once in the Congress, came closer to the BJP after 2014. Rio with Prime Minister Modi in the picture.

Here, under the leadership of TR Zeliang, there was a rift between the NPF and the BJP, after which Rio became active again. In 2018, he became the Chief Minister for the fourth time with the support of BJP. Rio became an MLA for the first time in 1989 from the Northern Angami seat.

5. Pema Khandu: Pema Khandu, the present Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, also started his political career with the Congress. In 2016, he became the Chief Minister for the first time. In 2011, he won the seat vacated by the death of his father on a Congress ticket, after which he was made Minister of Water Resources in the Nabam Tuki government.

Khandu joined the BJP in 2016 with 43 MLAs.

In July 2016, 43 legislators led by Pema announced the formation of a separate group. All formed a new government under the banner of the People’s Party. In September 2016, all 43 MLAs, including Khandu, joined the BJP. The BJP also won in 2019 under Khandu’s leadership.

6. N. Biren Singh: In 2016, a year after joining the BJP, N.N., who was made the Chief Minister of Manipur. Biren Singh also started his political career with Congress. Biren Singh was the Minister of Youth and Food Consumer Department in the Ibobi government of the Congress, but left the party in 2016 following resentment from the top leadership. He was demanding to replace Okram Ibobi as the chief minister, which was not accepted by the Congress high command.

BJP inducted N, Biren Singh into the party in Manipur under Operation North-East.

Ann Biren started his career as a football player. Later joined the Border Security Force (BSF). After that he turned to journalism. N Biren Singh reached the Legislative Assembly for the first time in 2002 by winning the elections from Hingang seat of Manipur.

7. Dr. Manik Shah: Dr. Saha, a dentist by profession, used to teach in Tripura Medical College before joining active politics. He started his political career with Congress. Saha was the president of Tripura Cricket Association during his stay in Congress. He was inducted into the party during BJP’s Operation North-East in 2016.

Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb with new Chief Minister Manik Saha. The picture is taken during the swearing-in ceremony at Tripura Raj Bhavan.

Saha was entrusted with the responsibility of Panna Pramukh by the BJP before the Tripura elections. Apart from this, he was also made the election in-charge. In 2018, BJP won for the first time in Tripura. In 2020, Saha was made the BJP state president and last month he was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

8. N. Rangaswamy: 71 year old N. Rangaswamy is currently the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Rangaswamy also started his political career with Congress. The Congress also made him the Chief Minister of Puducherry from 2001 to 2008, but after the growing dominance of V Narayanasamy, he left the Congress and formed his own All India NR Congress in 2011. In the same year, he won the election and became the Chief Minister for the third time, although he had to face a crushing defeat in the 2016 elections.

Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The picture is from 12 December 2014.

Then in the next election, i.e. 2021, he returned and became the Chief Minister of Puducherry for the fourth time with the help of BJP. Rangaswamy had reached the assembly for the first time in 1991 by winning from Thatanchavadi seat.