Domestic Worker, 2 Journalists Among West Bengal's 35 New Ministers

2026-06-01 02:39:58

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Thirty-five BJP legislators were sworn in as ministers, three weeks after the party formed its first-ever government in West Bengal on Monday. The government was formed on May 9 after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and five other cabinet ministers took the oath.

The new ministers include Kalita Majhi, who works as a domestic help and two journalists, Swapan Dasgupta and Jagannath Chattopadhyay.

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Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath to the 35 MLAs (member of the Legislative Assembly). Thirteen were sworn in as cabinet ministers, three as ministers of state with independent charge and the rest as ministers of state.

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Majhi, who used to earn around Rs4,000 a month (about Dh155), told the media that being a domestic help she realised the sufferings of the poor in her village.“The families in the homes where I worked for so many years are happy,” she said.“They always stood by me when I needed them.”

Majhi, whose husband is a plumber while her son appeared for class 12 exams, said as minister she would work for the benefit of backward classes, ensure the safety of women and see that drinking water is accessible for all.

Swapan Dasgupta, a BJP spokesperson, who won from Rashbehari constituency, told the media that the new government's first task is to remove the 'kachhra' (trash) and begin the process of reconstruction in a state that has been devastated by the Trinamool Congress.

“The priorities have been set out in education, the industrial sphere, setting up infra and getting law and order back,” he said.“We also have to get back the confidence of the entire investor community. It is going to be a big challenge trying to get a degree of honesty back into the system because there are so many areas of public life which have been badly corrupted."

A veteran journalist who has worked with leading Indian publications over the decades, Dasgupta is also an author and a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, awarded in 2015 by the Indian government for his work in the fields of literature and education.

The new ministry also includes seven women legislators including Malati Rava Roy, Purnima Chakraborty, Gargi Das Ghosh and Agnimitra Paul. Before entering politics, Agnimitra (a two-time MLA) was a fashion designer and worked with celebrities. She exhibited her works in several events, focusing on West Bengal's traditional crafts including Kantha embroidery.

Agnimitra, who is the women and child development and social welfare minister, has made travel for women in buses free from Monday.“The measure is expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of women including students and working professionals,” she told the media while travelling in a bus.

Free bus rides for women are now getting popular in India with many states offering the scheme. They include Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.