Purple flowers on a bed of green leaves in acrylic and oil on canvas by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been auctioned in New York for US $3000, her first painting to be sold abroad.

With a reserved price of USD 2500, five bids were made before the painting titled 'Flower Power' was sold at 3000 USD to Sundaram Tagore Gallery, a spokesperson of the US-based NGO Children's Hope India which auctioned the painting to raise funds for the welfare of underprivileged children in India, told PTI.