4 ministers skip meet called by Mamata, raise eyebrows

Four missing ministers at a Cabinet meeting called by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday raised many eyebrows amid a slew of TMC leaders switching over to the BJP recently. Senior party leader Partha Chatterjee later said that 3 of the minister gave valid explanations for the absence but forests minister Rajib Banerjee was incommunicado. The MLA from Domjur has been speaking about nepotism and sycophancy in the TMC lately. Mamata's party has been plagued by desertions ahead of the elections next year. Just days ago a number of its prominent leaders, including strongman Suvendu Adhikari, joined the BJP in the presence of home minister Amit Shah.