Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to head seventh Left Front govt in Bengal

Kolkata, May 12 (UNI) The ruling coalition partners in West Bengal today unanimously decided to retain Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as the Chief Minister of its seventh successive government and to finalise the ministry by May 14.

A front meeting held, a day after the elction results were out, decided that the names of the ministers would be finalised through separate bilateral discussions among the 8 (eight) partners.

Front chairman Biman Basu said the ministers of the new government were likely to take oath early next week as the Election Commission was expected to issue a notification in this regard very soon.

''Under the statutory provision the EC issues the notification within seven days after announcement of the election results. We are expecting it to come by the next few days,'' he said.

Before the swearing-in ceremony, the chief minister, however, would talk to the governor and go through certain administrative measures for election of a protem speaker, who will administer the oath of office and secrecy, Mr Basu said.

Replying to a question he denied that today's meeting had discussed any name of a possible minister.

He said following the oath taking ceremony, all the Left mlas would be called in a meeting to decide the leader of the legislature party. Mr Basu said the Left Front had secured 50.24 per cent vote in the assembly election which was third highest since the coalition government was formed in 1977.

The highest percentage of vote the Front secured was 52.96 per cent in 1982 when it cornered 252 out of then 296 assembly seats.

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