Bengal Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee quits Cabinet

West Bengal Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee on Friday resigned from the Cabinet.

“I regret to inform you that I hereby tender my resignation from my office as Cabinet Minister being in charge of Forest Department on today, i.e on 22 January 2021,” learn his resignation letter despatched to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mr. Banerjee, MLA from Uluberia in Howrah district, additionally despatched a resignation letter to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Later within the day, he met the Governor at Raj Bhawan.

Mr. Banerjee is the third one to resign from the Council of Ministers prior to now two months. Former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, who held a number of portfolios together with Transport, resigned from the Cabinet in December 2020 and the celebration and joined the BJP. Former Indian cricketer and Sports Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla resigned a couple of weeks in the past however has not cleared speculations about his political future.

Also learn | Bengal: A year of defections and worsening State-Centre ties

‘Test of patience’

Mr. Banerjee has been going public together with his variations with the celebration over the previous few months. Not solely was he absent from a number of Cabinet conferences prior to now few months but in addition referred to as out in opposition to favouritism within the celebration. On January 16, he took to social media, saying he was going via a check of persistence. He had instructed sources near him that he’ll stay energetic in politics. Speculations are rife that he’ll be part of the BJP.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated there could possibly be variations however that didn’t imply somebody would resign from the Cabinet . Mr. Ghosh, a former Rajya Sabha member, stated the explanations cited by Mr. Banerjee have been nothing greater than “alibi” to modify sides earlier than the Assembly polls. Mr. Banerjee wouldn’t be capable of win from Uluberia within the coming polls, he added.

BJP State president Dilip Ghosh stated Mr. Banerjee was nonetheless a TMC MLA and he ought to give up the celebration earlier than becoming a member of the BJP.