Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee today resigned as a member of the Lok Sabha from
South Kolkata constituency following her maiden entry to the
Assembly in a recent bye-election.
"Yes," the chief minister said confirming her
resignation.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy, who
carried her resignation letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker
Meira Kumar said he would hand it over to the secretary
general of the Lok Sabha.
Banerjee entered the state Assembly after winning the
prestigious Bhowanipore seat in the metropolis by 54,213 votes
humbling CPI(M)`s little-known candidate Nandini Mukherjee.
PWD and Transport Minister Subrata Bakshi had resigned
from Bhowanipur to make way for the chief minister.
Banerjee, who became the first woman chief minister of
the state in May, had consistently been elected to the Lok
Sabha since 1984, except in 1989.
She gave up her Railway portfolio on becoming the chief
minister and contested the by-polls. Banerjee did not contest
the Assembly elections in April-May on the ground that she
needed time to campaign for the party to oust the 34-year-old
Left Front regime.
With her resignation, the strength of the Trinamool
Congress, the second largest partner of the UPA, will come
down to 18.
PTI
