By IANS,
New Delhi : West Bengal chief minister-designate and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee Monday said she has invited party ally the Congress to join her government after the combine swept the Left Front away from its 34-year-old rule in the state.
“I have invited Congress. They will let me know,” a beaming Banerjee told reporters outside 10 Janpath as she emerged after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Asked who will become the next railway minister, Banerjee said that the “party would like to retain the portfolio”.
Banerjee currently holds the railway minister portfolio.
“Mukul (Roy) is general secretary of the party. Mukul was not there when I met Soniaji. The prime minister will decide who will be the next union railway minister, but we TMC want it to be with us… but it is the prime minister’s choice,” she said as she proceeded to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his official 7, Race Course Road residence.
She was replying to journalists’ queries on speculation that Mukul Roy could be the next railway minister.
“We have a good relationship with the Congress right from the day of Rajiv Gandhi. Our personal relationship with Soniaji is also good,” she said, adding that the Congress chief had called her up and congratulated her for the landslide victory of the party.
The Trinamool Congress bagged 184 seats in the assembly polls, its alliance partner Congress got 42 and the SUCI got 1 seat, in the 294-member assembly.