In a major blow to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former cricketer and Trinamool Congress leader Laxmi Ratan Shukla on Tuesday (July 5) resigned from his post of a minister in West Bengal government. He was the Minister of State for Sports and Youth Services.


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Laxmi Ratan Shukla also quit as the Trinamool Congress district president in Howrah. However, Shukla continues to remain a TMC MLA.


Shukla decided to resign from his ministerial post days after former TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari quit from Mamata Banerjee's cabinet. Adhikari later joined the BJP.


Shukla was a right-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. He also played for Bengal cricket team and represented Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.


Shukla was born in Howrah and completed his schooling at Shree Hanumaan Jute Mill Hindi High School and the Don Bosco High & Technical School, Liluah. He performed superbly in in the Ranji Trophy in the 1997–98 season and grabbed headlines after his good show for the Indian under-19s team in the MTN Youth World Cup in South Africa. He was a part of the Bengal team in the Wills Trophy, in which they reached the semi-final. Shukla retired from all forms of cricket on December 30, 2015.