Another blow to Didi as minister quits her Cabinet
3rd TMC heavyweight to leave
A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brief Kolkata visit, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee received yet another blow as one more rebel Trinamul Congress minister, Rajib Banerjee, quit her government, fuelling speculation of his defection to the BJP.
Within hours of Mr Banerjee’s move, the TMC expelled his loyalist and the daughter of former ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, Baishali Dalmiya, from the party, accusing her of “antiparty activities” after she supported him and slammed the party leadership. Mr Banerjee and Ms Dalmiya are MLAs from Howrah district.
Mr Banerjee is a twotime legislator from Domjur with a clean image. He is the third TMC heavyweight minister to leave Ms Banerjee’s Cabinet in less than two months.
He tendered his resignation after he visited the Trinamul Congress supremo’s residence in Kalighat. After that he met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan on Friday and submitted his resignation letter which stated: “I regret to inform you that I hereby tender my resignation from my office as Cabinet Minister being in charge of forest department today, ie. on 22nd of January, 2021. It has been a great honour and privilege to serve the people of West Bengal. I heartily convey my gratitude for getting this opportunity.”
Mr Banerjee has neither quit as an MLA nor deserted his party. After meeting the Governor, he said in tears, “I never imagined I would have to take such a tough