Kolkata, April 3 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued summons to two members of the West Bengal Cabinet for questioning in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-municipalities job case in the state.

The two ministers summoned are Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose and Food & Supplies Minister Rathin Ghosh. Both Bose and Ghosh are contesting from their respective constituencies as Trinamool Congress candidates.

It is learnt that while Bose has been asked to appear at the ED’s Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata on April 6, Ghosh has been asked to appear on April 9.

The last time Ghosh faced interrogation by ED officials in connection with the municipalities’ job case was in January 2024. Similarly, Bose was questioned by the central agency in October 2025.

At that time, ED officials also conducted marathon raids and search operations at the offices and residences of Bose. Similar raids and searches were also carried out at the residences of some close associates of Bose.

ED officials first received information about the multi-crore municipalities’ job case while conducting raids and searches at the residence of Trinamool Congress-linked promoter Ayan Shil in connection with another money laundering case related to the cash-for-school jobs scam in West Bengal.

Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also started a parallel probe into the municipalities’ job case following an order of the Calcutta High Court. As officials of the two central agencies progressed with the investigation, names of several politically influential persons, including state ministers and ruling party leaders, surfaced.

Earlier this week, the ED questioned a Trinamool Congress legislator and a Member-Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in connection with an illegal land-grabbing case in West Bengal. Kumar is also a Trinamool Congress candidate from his constituency.

The Trinamool Congress leadership has described the renewed ED action as a ploy to target party leaders and candidates ahead of the crucial two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal later this month.

The two-phase polling will be held on April 23 (for 152 Assembly constituencies) and April 29 (for the remaining 42 constituencies). The results will be declared on May 4.

–IANS

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