West Bengal Cabinet expansion: BJP hints at surprises; Swapan

Two journalist-turned-politicians, Swapan Dasgupta and Jagannath Chattopadhyay, might also get important berths in the Cabinet. (File Photo)

Three weeks after Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister along with five Cabinet ministers, the BJP government in West Bengal is set to expand its Council of Ministers on Monday.

While the government has yet to announce the list of additional ministers, Adhikari can induct a maximum of 38 more. The 91st Constitutional Amendment caps the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the strength of the Assembly. For West Bengal, which has 294 MLAs in the Assembly, the figure is 44.

Sources in the government and the BJP said Adhikari might induct around 20 more MLAs. “The rest of the berths will be vacant,” a party leader said.

With the five Cabinet ministers already sworn in representing women (Agnimitra Paul), Matuas (Ashok Kirtania), Rajbangshis (Nisith Pramanik), tribals (Kshudiram Tudu), party leaders said the expanded Council of Ministers will see representation from other communities.

“In this new list, women and backward communities will remain a priority for the BJP. North Bengal is also another priority,” a BJP leader said.
With Nisith Pramanik, an MLA from Mathabhanga in North Bengal, being made a Cabinet Minister and Coochbehar-Dakshin MLA Rathindra Bose the Assembly Speaker, sources said two more MLAs from the region — Dipak Burman and Shankar Ghosh — might also be included. Similarly, two or more women faces and a woman actor may get included in the extended Cabinet, said a party leader, adding that actor-turned-politician Rudranil Ghosh was also in the race.
Two journalist-turned-politicians, Swapan Dasgupta and Jagannath Chattopadhyay, might also get important berths in the Cabinet. Dasgupta, a former Rajya Sabha MP, may be in the running for Minister for Higher Education.
“In our party, no decision is taken single-handedly. The central leadership will take the final call. In this case, too, the central leadership made the final decision on who would be the Cabinet ministers and which department each would get. We can only say that there are some surprises. For that, everybody will have to wait till Monday,”
— said a party leader.

West Bengal Cabinet expansion: BJP hints at surprises; Swapan Dasgupta, Rudranil Ghosh in the mix

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