As Mamata Banerjee prepares to take charge of West Bengal, hectic parleys are on about who should inherit her Railways portfolio. According to sources, the UPA top brass has offered the Trinamool Congress two ministers of state in lieu of Railways, but Banerjee is keen to keep the portfolio with TMC.
Loyalist Mukul Roy, minister of state for shipping, is tipped to be the frontrunner for the post. Roy has been a close aide of Banerjee since her days of struggle. He has also been instrumental in expanding TMC?s base in the state.
The other names making the rounds are Dinesh Trivedi, Saugata Roy and Sudip Bandyopadhyay. A section of TMC supporters point out that Trivedi has been Banerjee?s pointsperson in New Delhi. This makes his chances brighter. But Trivedi?s equation with Banerjee has not been good for the last few months.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay had defied Bannerjee when she was an ally of NDA and Banerjee may not trust him with as crucial a ministry as the Railways.
Saugata Roy, who is one of the most articulate TMC members and senior enough to handle administrative jobs, may also be considered for the post. But as Mukul Roy has been her most trusted lieutenant, sources in TMC gives him an edge over other contenders.
Banerjee is keen to keep Railways because it has a pan-India jurisdiction and a massive budget. Moreover, she has already announced a host of projects in the state which need constant supervision.
?She is likely to take the decision in a day or two,? said a TMC leader who did not want to be named.
Economists like Abhirup Sarkar say, Railways can be an initial source for Mamata to start the drive for industrialisation in the state.
