Agartala, March 10: Communist
Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Manik Sarkar on Monday took oath
as the Tripura Chief Minister for the third consecutive time.

Governor
Dinesh Nandan Sahaya administered the oath of office and secrecy to
Sarkar and 11 others at a function at the Raj Bhavan here.

"We
shall continue our efforts to uplift the standard of living of the
people, specially those living below the poverty line and make Tripura
a model state in the country," Sarkar told reporters.

The Left Front has been in power in Tripura since 1978, barring one term, 1988-1993.

Besides
Sarkar, the others who took oath are Anil Sarkar, Badal Chowdhury,
Aghore Debbarma, Tapan Chakraborty, Manik Dey, Jitendra Chowdhury,
Khagendra Jamatia, Sahid Chowdhury, Bijita Nath, Joy Gobinda Deb Roy
and Manindra Reang.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, and
party politburo member Brinda Karat, state committee secretary
Baidyanath Majumder, senior party leaders and top officials attended
the swearing-in ceremony.

59-year-old Sarkar started his political career with the food movement in 1967. He became a member of CPI-M in 1968.

He
was selected a member of the CPI (M) State Committee in 1972. He became
a member of the Party Central Committee in 1985. Later, he was
appointed as the State Left Front Convener and the State Secretary of
the CPI (M).

Sarkar was elected from the Dhanpur Assembly
Constituency in 1998 Tripura elections. He became member of the CPI (M)
politburo in 1998. He has served as the Chief Minister of Tripura since
March 1998.

The main opposition Congress party has secured only
10 seats while its poll partner Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT)
bagged only one seat. (ANI)