Reborn Trinamool tugs at 5 berths

In Monday’s meeting,newly-elected MPs — Sultan Ahmed and Govinda Chandra Naskar — were unanimously elected deputy leaders of the Trinamool parliamentary party. Mamata later said a letter containing the signatures of her MPs would be sent to President Pratibha Patil informing her about their support to the UPA. Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy would leave for Delhi on Monday night,she said.

“We do not believe in bargain. There is no need to talk about which ministry we want. We never asked anything from anyone.” she said,adding “we will do whatever is good for the people.”

Mamata said she was likely to leave for New Delhi in a day or two and that she is in touch with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She said her MPs would be in Delhi when needed. “Sonia Gandhi called us and we had a talk. Manmohan Singh called us and we had a talk. All our MPs will be present in Delhi whenever they are asked to.”

Party sources said talks are going on for five ministerial berths,including that of a minister-of-state level,to be allotted to Trinamool MPs. Among senior leaders,they said,names of Dinesh Trivedi and Sougata Roy are doing the rounds along with Somen Mitra for a possible ministerial berth.

To ensure a woman minister from the Trinamool quota,Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar could be a possible choice. Among the SC contenders are C M Jatua and Sucharu Haldar,with the former being a front-runner. A ministry is also expected for MPs from the minority community for which Kabir Suman and Sultan Ahmed are in the fray.

Importantly enough,Mamata seems keen on keeping the spotlight intact on Nandigram,which has paid her rich electoral dividends. Sources said she wants at least one of the MPs associated with the Nandigram agitation to be rewarded with a Cabinet berth,for which young MP Suvendu Adhikary as well as Kalyan Banerjee are in the race.

“The matter will be cleared within two to three days. We are expecting five of our MPs to get ministerial berths including Mamata herself. We are in constant friendly dialogue with the Congress in Delhi,” a senior Trinamool leader said.

Rajya Sabha members Mukul Roy and Swapan Sadhan Bose were also present in the meeting. Tarun Mondal,the lone MP of Trinamool’s ally SUCI,was also there.

“Please count our block as 20. The Congress has worked for the SUCI candidate in Joynagar and I hope they will be with us,” Mamata said.

Asked if she would press for CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s removal,the Trinamool chief said,“Democratic ethics required that they respect the people’s verdict. I have already said that the people have expressed their no-confidence on the CPM-led Left Front government. I will not say anything more. Of the 294 Assembly segments,they have lost in 207,including those represented by 27 ministers.”