Kolkata, June 1: In a significant cabinet expansion, 35 new ministers will take their oaths today at 11 AM in Kolkata’s Lok Bhawan. Governor R.N. Ravi will administer the oath of office and secrecy.
Last week, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the West Bengal BJP president met with the party’s central leadership to finalize the names of the new ministers.
These 35 BJP legislators are set to be sworn in, with announcements regarding their portfolios expected to be made today.
While there has been considerable speculation about which leaders will be included in the cabinet, the BJP leadership has not disclosed any specific information.
A member of the state BJP committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, “Wait until 11 AM. There may be some surprising names. I can assure you that the cabinet will feature a balanced mix of experienced leaders and new faces, ensuring proper representation from all districts of West Bengal.”
Following the swearing-in of the 35 new ministers, the total number of ministers in the state cabinet will rise to 41. There is still room for three more ministers, as the maximum number of ministers in a state can be up to 15% of the total assembly members.
It is noteworthy that on May 9, six ministers from West Bengal’s first BJP government post-independence took their oaths, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Agnimitra Paul, Dilip Ghosh, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania, and Khudiram Tudu.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will hold an important meeting with various organizations of state government employees. This meeting will address the provision of dearness allowance (DA) for current and retired employees, aligning it with that of central government employees, as well as the payment of pending dues in accordance with Supreme Court directives.
Recently, the BJP achieved a significant victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats. Following a re-election in the Falta Assembly seat in the South 24 Parganas district, the party’s total seat count increased to 208.
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