Forty-three legislators of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were sworn in as Minister at the Raj Bhawan in Kolkata on May 10. The list comprises of 24 Cabinet Ministers and 10 Ministers of State with independent charge and nine Ministers of State were sworn in.
The West Bengal Council of Ministers included a mix of party veterans and new faces, Senior TMC leaders like Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas and Sashi Panja, who have held important portfolios in the first two terms of the Trinamool Congress, were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.
Eight women were sworn in during the day, and with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the total number of women in the new TMC govt has touched nine.
The Council of Ministers includes seven members of the minority community, the key names being Siddiqullah Chowdhury and Gholam Rabbani.
Among the new additions are Rajya Sabha MP Manas Ranjan Bhuniya, Paresh Chandra Adhikari, Ratna De Nag, and former IPS officer Humayun Kabir. These leaders have either some administrative or ministerial experience. Dr. Bhuniya was a Minister in the first term of TMC government when he was a Congress legislator. Mr. Adhikari was a Minister in the Left Front government.
Former cricketer Manoj Tiwari and Keshpur MLA Seuli Saha, and Jhargram MLA Birbaha Hansda who have no past experience have been included in the State’s Council of Minister.
The swearing-in ceremony was organised at Throne Room of the Raj Bhawan where Ms. Banerjee took oath for the third consecutive time on May 5. Former State Finance Minister Amit Mitra, who did not contest the Assembly polls, has also been included in the Cabinet and is likely to retain the Finance portfolio. Mr. Mitra and two other Ministers Bratya Basu and Rathin Ghosh were sworn in virtually.
Editorial | Hat-trick: On Mamata Banerjee’s third term
Representation to elected representatives for most of the districts of West Bengal have been accorded in the Council of Ministers.
Later in day Ms. Banerjee will chair a meeting of the State’s Cabinet at the Secretariat.
The allocation of portfolios to the Ministers is also expected during the day.