Bengal Minister Shovandeb Chattopadhyay resigns as Bhabanipore MLA, Mamata likely to contest
Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) veteran Shovandeb Chattopadhyay resigned as an MLA from the prestigious Bhabanipore constituency here on Friday.
Chattopadhyay, the Agriculture Minister of the West Bengal government, has submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee.
Resigning as the MLA, Chattopadhyay said, "The party wanted me to vacate the seat and I have also agreed to it as a trusted soldier."
On whether he would be able to continue as the Minister or not, he added, "I have to learn from the Speaker whether I can continue as a Minister or not."
The TMC veteran's resignation triggers speculations about party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's likely contest from the seat.
Though the TMC registered a landslide victory riding on Banerjee's leadership and population, the TMC supremo, who had left her previous constituency Bhabanipore and went on to contest from Nandigram, was defeated by her lieutenant-turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Suvendu Adhikari by over 1,900 votes.
As per the constitution, Banerjee will have to win from any of 294 assembly seats within six months from becoming the Chief Minister.
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