West Bengal: Adhikari cabinet expanded, 35 MLAs take oath as ministers

KOLKATA: A total of 35 BJP MLAs were sworn in as ministers at the Lok Bhavan on Monday as West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari expanded his Cabinet, taking the total strength of the Council of Ministers to 41.

Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office to the legislators. Altogether 13 MLAs were sworn in as Cabinet ministers, three as ministers of state (independent charge) and 19 others as ministers of state. The portfolios are yet to be announced.

As promised by BJP ahead of elections, north Bengal received maximum attention in this round of expansion - 4 full Cabinet ministers, one with independent charge and 3 ministers of state. This expansion comes three weeks after the first BJP government assumed control in the state.


MLAs Swapan Dasgupta, Tapas Roy and Shankar Ghosh are among the 35 new ministers.