UPDATED: May 14, 2021 17:13 IST
Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet members with governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at the swearing-in ceremony; Photo by Debajyoti Chakraborty
One of the dominant themes of Mamata Banerjee’s assembly election campaign was the idea of an inclusive West Bengal that had something to offer to all its citizens, cutting across religion, caste, gender and social status. Public endorsement of it came as her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), won the election with a handsome 213 of the total 294 seats. ‘Inclusive Bengal’ now finds reflection in Mamata’s 43-member cabinet that took the oath of office on May 10. The team consists of nine women, seven Muslims, eight SC/ST MLAs and professionals from diverse fields an actor, a cricketer, a theatre personality, a singer and two doctors. In all, there are 15 new faces.
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar with Mamata Banerjee and her cabinet ministers during the oath-taking ceremony.
KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has struck a fine balance between experience and fresh faces, packing her council of 43 ministers with eight women and seven members from the minority community.
While handpicking her team, Banerjee has had an eye on district representation. She has also undertaken some major changes in portfolio distribution, possibly based on public feedback.
Like earlier, the CM has kept for herself a few key departments such as home, Hill affairs, health and family welfare, land and land reforms, refugee relief and rehabilitation, information and culture, and north Bengal development.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers.
Three TMC leaders Amit Mitra, Bratya Basu, and Rathin Ghosh were sworn in virtually. Mitra is unwell and both Basu and Ghosh are recuperating from Covid-19.
Those who were sworn in include 24 cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state (independent charge).
Eight women were sworn in, and with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the total number of women has increased to nine.
The portfolios were decided at the first cabinet meeting of the government at the state secretariat.
The chief minister retained the portfolios of Home and Hill Affairs, Personnel and Administration, Health and Family Welfare, Land and Land Reforms and Refugee and Rehabilitation, and the Information and cultural affairs and North Bengal Development.
KOLKATA: The third cabinet with Mamata Banerjee as chief minister is set to be sworn in on Monday, with its 43 members comprising an almost equal mix of the seasoned and the new. While 17 senior ministers who had been in both the earlier cabinets have all found a place the third time around, 16 are set to be first-time ministers.
Amit Mitra, who did not contest the Bengal polls, returns to the state cabinet. Manas Bhunia, Pulak Ray, Rathin Ghosh and Biplab Mitra also step into the cabinet Ray, Ghosh and Mitra for the first time after leading the party fightbacks in West Midnapore, Howrah and South Dinajpur. Cricketer Manoj Tiwari also gets a place in the new cabinet, as does former IPS officer Humayun Kabir.