Dinesh Trivedi, once a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee had joined BJP in 2020.
He is among the few politicians associated with West Bengal to hold a diplomatic position apart from former Congress leader and ex chief minister Siddharta Shankar Ray, who served as the Ambassador to the United States.
The appointment comes at a time when 'infiltration' from Bangladesh is a major poll issue in West Bengal - which goes to polls on April 23 and April 29.
Trivedi, who hails from Gujarat, can speak Bangla and that may be one of the plus points he would carry in his new high profile assignment.
Dinesh Trivedi's appointment comes as India looks to reset its Bangladesh policy under the Tarique Rahman-led BNP government.
The appointment marks a major exception in which a politician has been given the job of a career diplomat. This is also seen as a big picture message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would like to handle the entire range of issues related to Bangladesh with a political perspective.
Trivedi's appointment also signals Modi's move to give top priority to ties with the neighbouring country, including in areas of political channels for sensible and sensitive engagements.
In 2019, Trivedi unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections, losing to BJP's Arjun Singh in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, in 2009, Trivedi had won from the seat.
He was later nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Mamata Banerjee in 2021, before joining the BJP.
He had a full steam 23 year long stint with Trinamool Congress.
Trivedi had his political baptism with the Congress party in the 1980s, but switched over to the Janata Dal in 1990.
In 1998 he joined Mamata Banerjee when she started the Trinamool Congress party and became its first general secretary.
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In 2011, Trivedi courted controversy when he offered to resign as a minister in support of Anna Hazare's Lokpal Movement.
In 2012, after Mamata Banerjee quit as the railway minister to become the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Trivedi was elevated as the Cabinet Minister for Railways.
On March 14, 2012, Trivedi announced the annual rail budget that included an all over hike in passenger fares, ranging from 2 paise to 30 paise per kilometre for reasons of safety along with network expansion and modernisation.
The fare hike was opposed by his own party's leader, Mamata Banerjee. Senior TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien both expressed their disagreement and Trivedi had to quit.
ends
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