Missing Trinamool ministers set tongues wagging; another big ticket defection likely

KOLKATA: Four ministers of West Bengal government skipped cabinet meeting convened by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday at Nabanna, the State secretariat.

Though three of them cited seemingly genuine reasons, absence of Rajib Banerjee, the minister for forest affairs, was said to be politically significant as there are strong speculations that he might quit the Trinamool Congress.

The three others in Mamata’s cabinet, who did not turn up to attend the meeting, were Rabindranath Ghosh, the north Bengal development minister, tourism minister Gautam Deb and Chandranath Sinha, the minister for fisheries.

Sources in the TMC said Ghosh was tested positive for Covid-19 recently and presently, he is not taking part in any administrative activities.

He said besides his health issue, he decided not to leave his constituency because Mamata’s latest initiative ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at your door-step) is being carried out there.

"Deb is based in north Bengal and travelling to Kolkata was not safe in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic,’’ said a TMC leader. Deb is known as one of the most trusted lieutenant of Mamata. Sinha from Bolpur said he was busy to oversee the preparedness ahead of the chief minister’s Bolpur visit on December 28 and 29.

"I am very much with the Trinamool Congress and I will be with the party. There is no question of shifting my political alignment,’’ he said.

Banerjee, however, could not be contacted for his comment explaining the reason behind his absence in the cabinet meeting.

In the recent past, Banerjee expressed his discontent on several occasions on the issue of the functioning of a section of party functionaries.

The other three absentees

The three others in Mamata’s cabinet, who did not turn up to attend the meeting, were Rabindranath Ghosh, Gautam Deb and Chandranath Sinha.