Cong may join Bengal govt,TMC to keep Railways

Want to retain Rail portfolio as many pending projects in Bengal,says Didi

The Congress is likely to join the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal,although the modalities are yet to be worked out. The Trinamool Congress was reported to have offered two Cabinet berths and two Ministers of State to the Congress,according to party sources.

On her first visit to Delhi after her landslide win,Mamata today called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to invite them to attend her swearing-in ceremony on May 20. While the Prime Minister is unlikely to attend due to a prior engagement,the Congress president is likely to travel to Kolkata.

Emerging from 10 Janpath after her meeting with Sonia,Mamata said she had invited the Congress to join the government. Congress sources said that although she wants Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjees son Abhijit Mukherjee to join the government as a minister,the Congress is yet to take a final call on this issue. Sources said that since Abhijit is a first-term MLA,the party leadership is wary of making him a minister.

Story continues below this ad

Mamata also made it clear that she would like to keep the Railway portfolio with the Trinamool as there are many pending projects in West Bengal. Asked if Mukul Roy could replace her in Rail Bhawan,she parried the question. While Roy accompanied her to 10 Janpath,he was not present at Mamatas meeting with Sonia.

Before they met,Sonia held deliberations with her political secretary Ahmed Patel and AICC leader in-charge of the state Shakeel Ahmed,who had earlier held discussions with party legislators to seek their views about the Trinamools offer to join the government. While a section of the West Bengal Congress is said to have supported the same,another section felt the party should support the government from outside and strengthen the organisation.

Sonam Raghuvanshi and Raja Raghuvanshi, meghalaya honeymoon murder news, indian express

‘Raja was killed in front of Sonam’: Chargesheet filed in Meghalaya honeymoon murder case

India1 hr ago

In a 790-page chargesheet filed on Saturday, the East Khasi Hills police in Meghalaya alleged that the honeymoon murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi took place in the presence of his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, following a criminal conspiracy hatched by her and Raj Kushwaha, with whom she was in a relationship.

View all shorts

Live Blog