Amit Mitra Likely To Step Down As Bengal Finance Minister Due To Ill Health

Amit Mitra, who has been the state finance minister since 2011 when Trinamool came to power after ending the 34-year-long rule of the Left Front, had refrained from contesting this year's assembly elections.

Noted economist and senior Trinamool Congress leader Amit Mitra is likely to step down as the West Bengal finance minister and even retire from active politics due to ill health, party sources said on Sunday. Seventy-three-year-old Mitra, who has been the state finance minister since 2011 when the TMC came to power after ending the 34-year-long rule of the Left Front, had refrained from contesting this year's assembly elections. "Amit Da will not continue as the state finance minister as he will be completing six months in the post without being elected on November 4. He has already informed the party leadership that he doesn't want to continue in politics and administration due to ill health. "But, due to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's insistence, Mr Mitra had taken charge as the finance minister of the state after the party returned to power for the third time in May this year," a senior TMC leader told PTI on condition of anonymity.