Displaying political courtesy and graciousness which seemed to have vanished from Bengal, Trinamul Congress chief and chief minister designate Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called on expelled CPI(M) leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was on Tuesday formally appointed chief minister of West Bengal by governor M.K. Narayanan.
Till she is sworn in, she will be referred to as CM designate. A day after Mr Narayanan invited her to form the new government, a four-line statement was issued from Raj

Over 1,200 of 1,792 candidates contesting Assembly elections from West Bengal's 294 constituencies lost not just the polls but also their security deposits.

In what was a mere formality, veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi was unanimously elected as leader of the Assam Pradesh Congress Legislature Party for the third consecutive term on Tuesday.

With Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi all set to take the oath on Wednesday, hectic lobbying has started among legislators to find a place in the new council of ministers.

Chief minister-designate Mamata Banerjee who will take oath of office on Friday, has almost finalised her Cabinet. Sources said Amit Mitra may get finance, Partha Chatterjee industry, Purnendu Bose labour and Rabi Ranjan Chatterjee education. Advocate Biman Banerjee or former high court judge Noore Alam Chowdhury may be appointed the Speaker of the Assembly.

Chief minister-designate Mamata Banerjee is likely to contest from Behala East Assembly constituency in a byelection. Sovan Chatterjee of the Trinamul Congress, who is also the city mayor, won this seat defeating Kumkum Chakraborty of the CPI(M) by 48,173 votes in the recently-concluded Assembly polls. Ms Banerjee, who was on

In an attempt to inculcate parliamentary norms among newly-elected Congress MLAs (half of them being new faces), Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said that he would take their classes.

Demolished by the Trinamul wave, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who resigned as the chief minister on Sunday offered to quit from both politburo and the central committee of the CPI(M).

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and expelled CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee on Sunday sent a letter to Trinamul Congress chief and chief minister designate Mamata Banerjee, congratulating her on her victor