Suvendu Adhikari expands West Bengal cabinet; 35 BJP MLAs take oath as ministers, council strength rises to 41

The Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal expanded its cabinet on Monday, with 35 BJP MLAs taking oath as ministers. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath, increasing the strength of the council of ministers to 41.

Among those inducted into the cabinet were Dipak Barman, Arjun Singh, Shankar Ghosh, Gauri Shankar Ghosh, former TMC minister Tapas Roy, Manoj Kumar Oraon, Jagannath Chattopadhyay, Ajoy Poddar, Swapan Dasgupta, Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee and Kalyan Chakraborti. BJP legislators Rajesh Mahata, Indranil Khan and Malati Rava Roy were sworn in as ministers of state with independent charge.

Adhikari and five ministers had earlier taken oath on May 9 at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

Key portfolios in the new cabinet

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari retained the crucial home and hill affairs departments, portfolios previously held by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Agnimitra Paul became the first woman in the cabinet and was assigned the municipal affairs and urban development department. She will also oversee the women and child development and social welfare department.

Former West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh was entrusted with the panchayat and rural development department along with animal husbandry. Former Union minister of state for home affairs Nisith Pramanik was given charge of the north Bengal development department and the sports and youth affairs department.

Ashok Kirtania, a prominent Matua community leader, was appointed food minister, while tribal leader Kshudiram Tudu took charge of the backward classes welfare department and the minority affairs and Madrasah education department, another key portfolio previously handled by Mamata Banerjee.