Bengal minister resigns

West Bengal Minister Humayan Kabir, who was continuing in the Mamata Banerjee government even after being defeated in a byelection, resigned from the state Cabinet today.
"Didi (Mamata Banerjee) has asked me to look after party affairs," Kabir told reporters at state secretariat Writers' Buildings after submitting his papers to the chief minister.
He said he was assured by the chief minister of being appointed as a government nominee in the sericulture department or as a chairman in some department.
A one-time confidante of Congress leader and Minister of state for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Kabir had parted ways with him and joined Trinamool Congress last year. He was inducted as animal resources development minister in November last year.

Kabir, however, lost the Assembly by-poll from Rejinagar constituency to Congress' Rabiul Islam on February 28 which made it untenable for him to continue as a minister.
He, however, refused to step down even after facing sharp criticism from opposition parties.
Kabir added that Banerjee had told him that the Trinamool Congress would like to contest the panchayat elections under his leadership in Murshidabad district.