Congress ministers shift to Opposition benches in West Bengal

The West Bengal Assembly on Monday sported a new look with the Congress members, including the former ministers, shifting to the Opposition benches from the Treasury which they occupied till they withdrew support to the government last Saturday.

Of the six Congress ministers who resigned from the government along with the party's withdrawal of support in response to the TMC's pull out from the central government a day before, some were found seated in the Opposition benches, while the others were absent.

The ministers who resigned from the Mamata Banerjee ministry were Manas Bhunia and Abu Hena, both of cabinet rank, Sunil Tirkey, Abu Naser Khan Chaudhury, Sabina Yasmin and Pramathanath Roy who were ministers of state.

The WBPCC has called an extended executive committee meeting on October 12 to discuss its strategy, Congress leader Manas Bhunia said adding that a CLP meeting would also be called later to take a decision on the issue of opposition status before taking it up with the Speaker.

Bhunia said as his party holds 42 members in the 294-member Assembly and the opposition CPI(M) has 38 members, it was natural that some one from the party be chosen as the Leader of the Opposition.

He suggested that the present Leader of the Opposition should vacate his post voluntarily in favour of someone from the Congress.

It may be noted that the combined strength of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the Assembly is 60.

Trinamool Congress has 185 members in the House.