Mamata Banerjee gives 3 important portfolios to Kolkata mayor

Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Sovan Chatterjee is on cloud nine after all Mamata Banerjee, who lovingly calls him Kanan, has given him a ministerial berth and three important portfolios of housing, environment and fire departments besides letting him remain as the city Mayor.

Known for being a blind Didi (Mamata) loyalist, Sovan, many a times, had been at the receiving end of Mamata's histrionics, the notable being pushing Sovon into the swimming pool which was supposed to be inaugurated by both. An embarrassed Sovon waded through the water with a grinning face.

Now that Didi had chosen to depend on him, his happiness knew no bound. At the budget session of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Sovon chose to present all the civic councillors a gift voucher worth Rs 3,000. The women councillors got an additional saree.

Though the gift had pleased one and all, even the opposition civic heads, Mamata Banerjee has expressed her displeasure. The Trinamool Congress civic board had presented a Rs 160 crore deficit budget and definitely it was no occasion to celebrate and splurge on gifts.

Sovan Chatterjee tried to explain that he was merely following the tradition started by the Left Front Mayor, which made Mamata see red.