The Congress has paid the price for criticising its big brother Trinamul Congress in the ruling alliance in West Bengal. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday reshuffled her council of ministers and reportedly axed Manoj Chakraborty (who recently attacked the Trinamul Congress) as minister of state for parliamentary affairs and micro and small-scale enterprises and textiles departments.
Another Congress minister, Abu Hena, who is of Cabinet rank, would also be relieved of the portfolio of food processing industries and horticulture department. Mr Hena will be left with only the portfolio of the fisheries department. As a consolation prize Mr Chakraborty will be shifted to the food processing industries and horticulture department as minister of state.
Ms Banerjee on Monday also inducted two new faces in her council of ministers, Arup Biswas and Chandrima Bhatta-charya, both from the Trinamul Congress. Mr Biswas and Ms Bhattacharya were sworn in as ministers of state by governor M.K. Narayanan. Significantly, leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Surjya-kanta Mishra did not attend the programme as the invitation reached him about an hour before the programme. “Two new ministers, Arup Biswas and Chandrima Bhatt-acharya, will be inducted in the council of ministers. I also want to induct Sasi Panja. But she is now in Coochbehar. I will see to this matter later,” the CM announced.