Kolkata, Jan 5 (UNI) West Bengal's junior sports minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla on Tuesday quit the

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC ministry. His resignation was accepted immediately by Governor

Jagdeep Dhankhar on the advice of the chief minister.

"In view of advice of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, I, Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of West Bengal, do hereby order, in exercise of powers vested in me under Constitution, that Shri Laxmi

Ratan Shukla ceases to be a member of Council of Ministers with immediate effect," a Raj Bhawan twitter account communicated to the media.

Senior sports minister Arup Biswas will hold the additional portfolio, the communique said.

A first time MLA from Howrah North, the former all rounder India cricketer, was the surprise pick by the TMC supremo Mamata Banrjee when Shukla quit the field and began his political career, becoming a minister overtaking many senior leaders in the "Ma Mati Manus" government.

Shukla is the second minister to leave Mamata Banrjee's ministry after Medinipur strongman Suvendu Adhikary quit as the Transport Minister on November 26 and joined the BJP in December last.

The present ministry's term is going to expire in May 2021 with the assembly polls slated in the next four to five months.

Shukla's resignation comes at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress is battling desertions as several leaders, including MPs quit the party to join the BJP, which is eyeing a victory with over 200 seats in the upcoming assembly election.

"He [Shukla] has written that he will continue as MLA till his term. But he wants to quit politics.

I welcome his decision and I wish him all the best. He is a sportsperson and wants to concentrate on

sports and I wish him well," Ms Banerjee said at Nabanna.

Shukla has also expressed his desire to resign from all the party posts and proposed to quit TMC.

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