Didi home, Buddha takes trip

The scene is now set for the entry of West Bengal CM Buddhadev Bhattacharya tomorrow. He is coming to Delhi for a Politburo meeting. The CPI(M) here confirmed that Bhattacharya would meet L.K. Advani and A.B. Vajpayee.

‘‘Mr Advani called me today and wanted to know our government’s stand on the issue,’’ the CM said in Kolkata this evening. ‘‘I will apprise him of the situation.”

The Left has decided to dissociate itself from ‘‘Mamata’s activism’’ which they said ‘‘is doing the state no good. Nitish (Kumar) is trying to bring in positive reforms in the Railways’’. The opinion comes a day after CPI(M) MPs walked out of the Railways Consultative Committee meeting along with Trinamool’s Sudip Bandopadhyay. CPI(M)’s Rajya Sabha member Nilotpal Basu said: ‘‘We are not against the bifurcation. We are questioning the formation of a new zonal railway purely from financial and operational points of view.’’

Mamata, who reached Kolkata this evening, refused to speak to the Indian Express. Party leader Pankaj Banerjee said: ‘‘Unless the Centre stops the bifurcation, the question of Trinamool’s joining the Cabinet doesn’t arise.’’

Advani, whom Nitish Kumar met today, told a TV channel that he was not in favour of giving Railways to Mamata now. Vajpayee had reportedly sought his opinion before the Cabinet reshuffle.

Advani’s stance is clearly in favour of Kumar. He said the bifurcation was a Cabinet decision. ‘‘I met Advaniji today and explained the zonal readjustment. He understood why it had to be done,’’ Kumar said.

Earlier in the day, Mamata said in Delhi: ‘‘Cabinet’s decision can be reviewed by the PM. He has the authority to direct the Railway Minister to withdraw the order.’’

Though PMO officials said the PM is looking for a solution, they said ‘‘review is not one of the options before the Cabinet’’. The Centre now appears to be working out a plan in which Bihar would get three ER divisions, except Dhanbad, and West Bengal would retain the zonal headquarters nomenclature.