Mamata’s Railway hope gets derailed but Advani keeps Coal warm for her

On a day of hard bargaining, the Trinamool chief found the going tough. Nobody seemed in a hurry to agree to her key demand—of an assurance to at least roll back the bifurcation of the Eastern Railway, which spells trouble in her pocket burrough, even if the Railways were to remain with Nitish Kumar.

She was left to sulk though there were enough indications that her return was possible, provided she agreed to the give-and-take. That L K Advani was asked to take additional charge of Coal and Mines was suggestive. It’s been probably reserved for Mamata. Incidentally, coal and its handling was the factor Nitish cited to split the railway division and take unto Bihar what was hitherto concentrated in Bengal.

Vajpayee’s emissaries were said to be persuading Trinamool leaders to return to the Council of Ministers. They were not even ruling out a special ceremony tomorrow to induct the Trinamool leaders.

Vajpayee was guarded in his response on Mamata’s return, saying, ‘‘everything is possible’’ but Defence Minister George Fernandes was more forthcoming.

He told The Indian Express,‘‘ I am still working on a formula.’’ He indicated that a ‘‘short ceremony’’ at the Rashtrapati Bhawan could be held tomorrow for the swearing-in if the ‘‘formula’’ clicked.

Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP, was in regular touch with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan. Mamata was told that the PM was willing to accommodate even three ministers from the Trinamool but the Railways portfolio was out because it would create problems with the other NDA partners.

Mamata indicated to the PM that she would need time to sort out her problem of selecting which two from her party should join the government as Ministers of State.

Mahajan was said to have told Mamata that she could not draw a parallel with the re-induction of Fernandes. His Defence portfolio was parked with Jaswant Singh because the PM had asked him to quit. But in her case, she was reminded, she left the NDA on her own despite being told not to do so.

Trinamool leaders waited for the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to get over to come out with their part of the story. ‘‘No, she did not ask for the Railways portfolio. She conveyed to the Prime Minister that she was prepared to join the Cabinet without a portfolio. She just wanted an assurance that the bifurcation plan would be reviewed,’’ Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said.

For once, Mamata refused to leave the seclusion of her room to face the media glare. ‘‘Yes, she is upset. She cannot become a minister while her state is economically devastated. Not at the cost of bifurcating Bengal,’’ said Subarata Mukherjee, Trinamool’s Kolkata mayor.

Trinamool MP Anand Mohan Biswas too was bitter. ‘‘It is no longer a NDA government. It is a BJP-Samata government. But what makes Samata so powerful? If they have 12 MPs, we are no less. We have 11.’’