Poor show: Mamata slams 3 mantris
Three West Bengal ministers — Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, Sabitri Saha and Subrata Saha — faced the wrath of chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the poll debacle in their respective areas.
Ms Banerjee accused them of infighting, and even sabotage, which led to the defeat of Trinamul Congress candidates in Malda South, Malda North and Jangipur. Ms Banerjee was so incensed by the defeat of her close associate Dola Sen in Asansol seat that she sacked agriculture minister Malay Ghatak.
According to the insiders, during the state Cabinet meeting held at Nabanna on Wednesday, Ms Banerjee categorically mentioned both state tourism minister Mr Chowdhury and state social welfare minister Ms Mitra to be careful about the ongoing factional feud.
Earlier, Mr Chowdhury had bagged the ministeri- al berth after quitting Congress, but earned the CM’s ire as the ruling party trailed behind BJP by 23,000 votes in the minister’s home constituency of English Bazar. Both Ms Mitra and Mr Chowdhury blamed each other for the BJP’s emergence in the area that falls under the South Malda Lok Sabha seat.
Mr Chowdhury later admitted that the Modi tsunami toppled several bigwigs. Despite being able to retain her Assembly segment, Ms Mitra said: “I am repentant for the defeat in two seats of my area, but i tried my level best for my party.”
State food processing minister Mr Saha, attracted the wrath of Ms Banerjee for failing to give Abhijit Mukherjee, who contested from Jangipur, a defeat. State industry minister Partha Chatterjee said that the party is introspecting its poor performance at various Assembly segments.
It was learnt that Mr Chatterjee and state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee have been assigned to coordinate with the Central government for the Central grants.