Mamata Banerjee reshuffles cabinet, inducts nine new faces including ex-BJP MP Babul Supriyo

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (August 3, 2022) expanded her cabinet and inducted nine new faces including former BJP MP Babul Supriyo. The cabinet reshuffle, the first since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) returned to power for the third consecutive term in 2021, saw Supriyo, Snehasis Chakraborty, Partha Bhowmik, Udayan Guha, and Pradip Majumdar taking oath as cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan by Governor La Ganesan. Birbaha Hansda, a tribal leader, and Biplab Roy Chowdhury took oath as the ministers of state with independent charge. Tajmul Hossain and Satyajit Barman were also sworn in as ministers of state.

Mamata Banerjee's cabinet reshuffle came amid the TMC facing the heat over the arrest of sacked minister Partha Chatterjee by the ED in the school jobs scam.

Earlier on Monday, Banerjee had carried out a major overhaul in her party and announced that a cabinet reshuffle will take place on Wednesday.

Babul Supriyo gets one of Partha Chatterjee's departments

Babul Supriyo, a former Union minister and BJP MP, has been allocated Information Technology and Electronics, one of the departments held by sacked leader Partha Chatterjee. The singer-turned-politician also got the Tourism portfolio.

Supriyo, notably, had quit the saffron party and joined the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC after being dropped from the Union cabinet last year. He is presently a TMC MLA from the Ballygunge assembly constituency in Kolkata.

Partha Bhowmick replaces Saumen Mahapatra

Newly appointed Minister Partha Bhowmick, who is considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, has been given the charge of Irrigation and Waterways, replacing Saumen Mahapatra, a three-time minister.

Udayan Guha given charge of North Bengal Development department

Udayan Guha, a former Forward Bloc leader who joined TMC after the 2016 assembly polls, was given charge of the crucial North Bengal Development department. Son of former Left Front minister Kamal Guha, Udayan is currently one of the tallest TMC leaders in the Cooch Behar district.

Pradeep Mazumdar gets Panchayat and Rural development department

Pradeep Mazumdar, an agricultural expert, has been given charge of the Panchayat and Rural development department. This comes ahead of the crucial panchayat polls next year.

Birbhaha Hansda elevated to MOS

Tribal leader Birbhaha Hansda, a former actress, has been elevated to MOS - Independent charge of Self Help Group and Self Employment. She will, however, continue to function as a junior minister in the Forest department.

Tajmul Hossain, Satyajit Barman sworn in as ministers of state

Tajmul Hossain, a former two-time Forward Bloc MLA who joined the TMC in 2015, has been sworn in as minister of state. He had won from the Harischandrapur seat in Malda on a TMC ticket in 2021.

Satyajit Barman has been made the new Minister of State in the Education department, replacing Paresh Adhikary, whose name has also cropped up in the scam was shunted out. 

Apart from Adhikary, Humayun Kabir, Ratna De Nag and Saumen Mahapatra have also been dropped from the ministry.

Sashi Panja, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay given charge of Partha Chatterjee's departments

Sashi Panja and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay have also been given the charge of Industry and Commerce and Parliamentary Affairs departments respectively, portfolios which were earlier with Partha Chatterjee.

Senior Minister Manas Bhunia, who is presently in charge of the water resources department, was given the additional charge of the environment.

The reshuffle also witnessed an easing of pressure from ministers burdened with several departments and the young brigade taking the lead in the new ministry.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, who had been heading three ministries, has now been allotted only Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, whereas as his two other departments - Housing and Transport - went to Power Minister Aroop Biswas and to newly inducted Snehasis Chakraborty respectively.

Panja, who has been handed the key portfolio of Industry and Industrial Reconstruction, will continue to hold her present department - Women and Child Development.

Indranil Sen, a junior minister in the Information and Cultural department, was given the additional charge of Technical Education as MOS Independent Charge replacing Kabir.

(With agency inputs)