Taking a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Government on his first day as Union Minister, well-known singer and BJP MP Babul Supriyo said there is lack of governance in West Bengal and a lot needs to be done for his home State.
The first-time MP took charge as Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on Monday.
The Bollywood singer’s induction into the Cabinet is being seen as a move by the ruling BJP to make further inroads into West Bengal, where Assembly polls are due in 2016.
Supriyo said he would like to work as a “bridge between the Centre and West Bengal”. He said his constituency Asansol will receive due attention.
On his priorities, the Minister said: “Housing is an issue in India and I would begin with housing for urban poor on priority.”
The 43-year-old hails from Uttarapara in Hooghly district of West Bengal. A commerce graduate from Calcutta University, he worked for a multinational bank before quitting to pursue his passion of singing.
Supriyo defeated his nearest rival, Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress, by over 70,000 votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.