Even in Modi’s 3.0 government, no full-time minister from Bengal
Kolkata: Two out of the 12 winning BJP MPs from Bengal, Santanu Thakur and Sukanta Majumdar, on Sunday, took oath after they were included in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet at the Centre.
Santanu Thakur, one of the 12 BJP MPs from Bengal who won the Bongaon seat, got a ministerial berth on Sunday. Thakur was the former minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways. Sukanta Majumdar, the state BJP president who secured the Balurghat Lok Sabha Constituency for the second consecutive time, was also included in the Cabinet. It was learnt that both were given the post of Minister of State instead of a Minister in Charge. However, it is yet to be known under which ministry they would be serving as MoS.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Saumitra Khan, who bagged the Bishnupur seat from Bengal had also demanded for a ministerial berth. He had criticised his party’s state leadership for its poll debacle in Bengal. Khan had told the media earlier that he was in touch with TMC leaders but on Sunday he rubbished the speculations of joining TMC if he does not get a ministerial berth. In a Facebook post, Khan wrote: “Saumitra Khan will never be sold”. He further wrote “Those who are trying to mislead the people of Bengal with false narratives, I would like to convey to them that I was the first Member of Parliament to join the BJP on January 9, 2019, leaving all organisational positions of the party in power, and have since been a dedicated worker for the party and have worked under the guidance and leadership of Shri Narendra Modi Ji”.
Recently, a TMC leader had said: “Three newly-elected BJP MPs from Bengal are in touch with us. We have not made a decision on whether or not they will join us.”
This announcement came at a time when TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited Delhi for the INDIA bloc meeting.