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Mamata Banerjee’s evening meeting with Governor Dhankhar sparks speculation
Mamata Banerjee’s visit made news in view of the increasing acrimony in the relationship between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Governor Dhankhar over a range of issues.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Raj Bhawan on Wednesday evening and held talks with governor Jagdeep Dhankhar for around an hour.
The government maintained silence on Banerjee’s visit which made news in view of the increasing acrimony in the relationship between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Dhankhar over issues ranging from law and order in Bengal to ruling party leaders branding the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) central leaders and ministers visiting the state for poll campaign as “outsiders.”
The governor, who targeted the TMC on these issues even during a visit to a temple in Midnapore district a few hours before Banerjee called on him, wrote a short tweet around 7 pm, saying he and his wife greeted the chief minister. He also posted a photograph.
“I don’t know anything about the conversation that took place but it is possible that the chief minister may have plans to induct new faces in the state cabinet where two positions are lying vacant. Former transport minister Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP in December and deputy sports minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla resigned from the TMC on Tuesday,” a senior TMC Lok Sabha member said on condition of anonymity.
“If the chief minister inducts new ministers, they have to be sworn in by the governor. That won’t be necessary if the portfolios are distributed among others ministers,” said the TMC MP.
A second TMC leader said the chief minister could have met the governor to invite him to the special session of the state assembly that the government wants to hold to pass resolutions against the Centre’s new farm laws.
On Monday, while addressing a media conference, Banerjee had said, “We will hold an assembly session for one or two days and we will introduce a resolution demanding withdrawal of the farm laws. We will try to ensure that the resolution is passed unanimously. I know the BJP will oppose it but expect other parties to support it.”
