Mamata Banerjee announces Bengal cabinet rejig: ‘Not possible to handle alone..’

Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a rejig of the Bengal cabinet, which will be carried out on Wednesday. At least four new faces can be expected to be recruited , the chief minister indicated in a briefing. The announcement comes days after Partha Chatterjee was arrested in the school jobs case, along with his aide Arpita Mukherjee, and later suspended from the post of state minister.

The reshuffle is expected at 4 pm on Wednesday. "We will reshuffle the cabinet on Wednesday, there will be four-five new faces," she said during the briefing, news agency ANI reported. She also mentioned Partha Chatterjee. "We don't have a plan to dissolve the whole ministry and form a new one. Yes, there will be a reshuffle. We lost ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Sadhan Pande. Partha is in jail so all their work has to be done. It is not possible for me to handle alone…," she was quoted as saying.

The chief minister also spoke of the seven new districts in Bengal, which has increased the total number of districts to 30 from 23.

"The seven new districts include - Sunderban, Ichhemati, Ranaghat, Bishnupur, Jangipur, Behrampur and one more district will be named Basirhat." she said.

The arrest of Partha Chatterjee and her aide in the school jobs case has brought the Trinamool Congress government under huge criticism from rivals, including the BJP. Chatterjee was said to be a close aide of Mamata Banerjee.

During the raids, cash worth ₹21 crore was found from Mukherjee's house.

Making it clear that her government had no appetite for corruption, the chief minister - last week - said if he was guilty, he should be punished but her name should not be dragged.

(With inputs from ANI)