BH CORRESPONDENT, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MLA and minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla has stepped down from his post in the government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Shukla quitting as Minister of State for Sports comes days after several Trinamool Congress leaders joined the BJP, with the election to the legislative Assembly just months away.
“I have received his resignation letter. Laxmi is a good boy and he wants to return to sports. There is no misunderstanding…He will continue as MLA till the election and I have recommended to the governor that his resignation should be accepted,” Mamata Banerjee said at an event on Monday.
Former captain of the Bengal Ranji team, Shukla is MLA of Howrah (Uttar) constituency. In his letter to Banerjee, the former cricketer said he wants to “retire from politics”.
Shukla joined Banerjee’s party before the last state election in 2016 and won.
The BJP is the biggest challenge to Mamata Banerjee and her party in the upcoming election. Her party’s troubles started with the exit of her longtime colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP.
