Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday held a one-on-one meeting with West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata amid ongoing discussions over a possible expansion of the state Cabinet. The meeting, which reportedly lasted around 1.4 hours, comes at a time when political activity within the state administration is witnessing heightened speculation regarding portfolio allocation and inclusion of new ministers.
Although no official details were released by either the Governor’s office or the Chief Minister’s office regarding the agenda of the meeting, political observers suggest that the discussion is likely linked to the pending Cabinet expansion. Sources within the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indicated that the allocation of portfolios and finalisation of additional ministerial names may have been a key focus of the deliberations.
The current West Bengal Cabinet was partially formed earlier on May 9, when five ministers were sworn in during a ceremony held at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary. The oath-taking was administered in the presence of senior national leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Chief Ministers from several BJP-ruled states.
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Despite the initial induction of ministers, the full Cabinet has not yet been announced, leaving key portfolios and additional ministerial positions unfilled. This delay has fueled speculation in political circles about internal discussions over representation, experience, and regional balance within the Cabinet structure.
Party insiders suggest that the leadership is considering multiple factors before finalising the expansion, including representation from all districts and the inclusion of experienced legislators alongside first-time MLAs. With 208 BJP legislators in the 294-member Assembly, balancing regional and administrative representation remains a key consideration in the final Cabinet composition.
As discussions continue, political attention remains focused on the timing of the final announcement, which is expected to clarify both the structure of the expanded Cabinet and the distribution of responsibilities among ministers in the coming days.
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