Bengal has never had more than three ministers at the Centre but this time at least nine faces from the Trinamool and Congress are set to be in various ministries.

Besides Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, who is expected to get the Railways, five others from the party are set to get ministries.

Whereas from the Congress, apart from Pranab Mukherjee, who is expected to get the finance portfolio, two other MPs are expected to get berths in the Union council of Ministers. However, except Banerjee and Mukherjee, a majority of them are likely to get the minister of state (MoS) portfolios.

Since 1947, Bengal had two ministers on an average at the Central government. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Khitish Chandra Neogi were two ministers in the first Cabinet in 1947.

“This is a historic occasion for Bengal caused by the successful alliance between the Trinamool and Congress,” said senior Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee.

“Mamata had a talk with Sonia Gandhi over the issue of five portfolios for our candidates,” said a senior Trinamool leader over the phone from Delhi. 1

According to Trinamool sources, five party MPs, including Dinesh Trivedi, Sougata Roy, Sisir Adhikary and Sultan Ahmed, are set to be the ministers of state. Congress sources revealed that besides Mukherjee, who is likely to get the finance ministry, two other MPs are expected to get ministers of state portfolios.

“I do not know if I will get any portfolio. But Bengal will be benefitted by so many ministers,” said Congress MP Deepa Dasmunshi.

Mausam Noor is also expected to get a portfolio. She, however, is competing with her own uncle Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, who is also in the race of a ministry.