Who’ll be new Rly minister?

The Trinamool Congress came to power on the promise of change. There was no positive blueprint on governance. Ravik Bhattacharya and Arindam Sarkar report.

The Trinamool Congress came to power on the promise of change. There was no positive blueprint on governance.

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Now that the party has won, party chief Mamata Banerjee faces her first acid test: the colleagues she picks for her stint at the Writers’ Buildings.

There is also the question of picking a successor for the railway berth at the Centre. At present, two names are doing the rounds — Union minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy and Union minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi. “Since Railways is very close to Banerjee, she will have a loyalist occupying the ministry,” said Subrata Mukherjee, senior Trinamool leader.

Amid all the celebrations, the new leaders of Bengal turned their attention to the task at hand. And it seems fine-tuning the plan will take some time. Though no formal announcement has been made, May 18 has been proposed as the date for the swearing-in of the new government, said party sources.

Banerjee, the next chief minister, is expected to retain the crucial portfolio of home ministry and at least for a time, health and education. She has also been advised to retain the industry.