West Bengal transport minister Suvendu Adhikari resigns

Mamata retaliated by immediately replacing him with loyalist MP Kalyan Banerjee as the new chairman of HRBC

Kolkata; After weeks of suspense disgruntled, West Bengal transport minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday resigned from the Mamata Banerjee-led cabinet.

In his resignation letter, addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari thanked her for giving him “an opportunity to serve the people of the state”, and added, that he fulfilled the obligation “with commitment, dedication and sincerity”.

Suvendu also mentioned that he was forwarding a copy of the resignation letter to the Governor.

In a tweet, Governor JagdeepDhankhar acknowledged receiving the resignation letter, and said, that he would deal with the matter by following the appropriate constitutional procedure.

On Thursday evening, Adhikari had resigned from the post of chairman of Hooghly River Bridge Commission.

Mamata retaliated by immediately replacing him with loyalist MP Kalyan Banerjee as the new chairman of HRBC. Adhikari—who is believed to be unhappy with party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and political heir Abhishek Banerjee, MP—has been holding independent political rallies for a while triggering off speculations about his growing differences with the party.

Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari and younger brother Dibyendu Adhikari are both Lok Sabha members from TMC. Another brother Soumen Adhikari is chairman of Kanthi Municipal Corporation.

Suvendu—who played a key role in the Nandigram movement—has the reputation of being a mass leader.

Both BJP and Congress have been showing interest in inducting him should he quit the TMC.

BJP has said, that all TMC functionaries will gradually leave the party.

In the end, only Mamata Banerjee herself, and her nephew Abhishek will be the only two individuals, who will remain in the party, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has said.