New Delhi/Kolkata, June 27: Senior Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today resigned as chief of party’s West Bengal unit citing “heavy government responsibilities” and CLP leader Manas Ranjan Bhunia was appointed to the post by Sonia Gandhi.
The appointment of Bhunia, a close associate of Mukherjee, comes after Congress’ poor performance in the recent local body elections where ally Trinamool Congress emerged as the biggest gainer after contesting on its own.
Mukherjee, 75, who has held the post for the last nine years, had been for quite sometime impressing upon the leadership to have a “full-time” president in view of the assembly polls next year. He again pressed for it after the local body elections.
–Agencies