New Delhi: The move to induct Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sudip Bandopadhyay into the Union Council of Ministers is understood to have been kept on hold.

The induction of Bandopadhyay in the May 24 evening's reshuffle and expansion exercise has been put on hold following protests and the decision of his party leader Mamata Banerjee not to join the Union government, sources said.

Banerjee had sent a communication to the Prime Minister expressing her views and was told that the issue would be discussed at an appropriate time in Delhi.

She had maintained that any decision about a colleague of her party should have been taken in consultation with her, the sources said.

PTI