Agartala, Mar 20 (IANS): CPI-M legislature party leader Jitendra Chaudhury was on Wednesday recognised as Leader of the Opposition in the Tripura Assembly by Speaker Biswabandhu Sen.

The post had been lying vacant after the incumbent, Tipra Motha Party MLA Animesh Debbarma, quit to become a minister in Chief Minister Manik Saha-led BJP government on March 7.

Officials said that the Assembly Speaker invited Chaudhury for discussions on Wednesday and then recognised him as the Leader of the Opposition.

Chaudhury, 66, a former state minister and MP, said that he would highlight the issues and interests of the common people inside and outside the Assembly.

"Actually, as per the result of last year’s Assembly polls in terms of vote percentage, we got the second position (24.62 per cent votes) but TMP was recognised as the main opposition party as they got 13 seats (20 per cent votes) against our 11 seats," he told the media.

However, the CPI-M is now down to 10 members in the 60-member house after its MLA from Boxanagar Assembly seat Samsul Haque died on July 19 last year following a cardiac attack and the BJP wrested the seat in the September 5, 2023 by-elections.