CALCUTTA, OCT 28: West Bengal Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Home (Police) and Information and Culture Buddhadev Bhattacharya will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of the state at 4.30 pm on November 6. Sailen Dasgupta, chairman of the Left Front (LF) that has ruled the state for the past 24 years with Jyoti Basu as Chief Minister, announced this at a crowded press conference today evening at the CPI(M) party office here. He also ruled out any change in in the Cabinet after Bhattacharya takes over as chief minister.Basu had said yesterday that he planned to retire in the first week of November due to health reasons and the LF gave its approval to this at its meeting today. Basu will send in his resignation in a day or two to Governor Viren J. Shah, who is now vacationing at Darjeeling, Dasgupta said.``All the representatives of the nine parties that constitute the Left Front were present at today's meeting and have unanimously accepted his resignation,'' Dasgupta said. However, some Front partners had raised objections to Basu's retirement plan and requested him to stay back till the elections due early next year and because of the flood situation and the gradual rise of the Trinamool Congress. But Basu maintained that his health did not permit him to continue with his duties and responsibilities as Chief Minister and insisted on stepping down, leaving the LF partners with no option but to agree.``Some of the partners raised objections to his stepping down now but considering the ground realities, we had to accept his resignation,'' Debabrata Bandopadhyay, leader of the RSP, a Front partner and Minister for Irrigation, told mediapersons.``I come to Writers' Building only for two hours and in the evening I have numerous appointments and other obligations,'' Basu reportedly told the LF partners at the meeting. ``But I am not fit enough to carry on these duties and that is why I want to quit as Chief Minister,'' he said.Contrary to speculation, Basu's name was not proposed for the post of LF chairman and he is not due to hold any formal post in the Front. He will, however, remain in active politics, Politburo member Biman Bose and CPI(M) state committee secretary Anil Biswas told mediapersons. ``He will work as a guardian of the Left Front,'' Biswas said. Added Bose: ``Basu being Basu will remain the guiding force of the Left Front and will take part in the election campaign. He will also assume an active role in forming the Third Front at the Centre. To sum up, his health permitting, he will do everything to strengthen the Left movement in the country.''
