This Article is From Mar 16, 2012

Will Dinesh Trivedi exit as Railways Minister today?

Will Dinesh Trivedi exit as Railways Minister today?
New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee has told the Congress that her nominee to the Cabinet, Dinesh Trivedi, must be removed by the end of day. The Railways Minister has outraged his party chief by announcing a hike in passenger fares during his Railways budget, and for refusing to roll-back the hike. The Congress had asked Ms Banerjee to wait till March 30 for Mr Trivedi's removal - Parliament breaks then for a few days, and a change in minister at that time would deprive the Opposition of an attack on the government. Ms Banerjee, not known for compromise, refused that suggestion and last night, her party said that as soon as the Union Budget is presented in Parliament today, Mr Trivedi must go.

During his presentation of the Union Budget today, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee joked that he was happy "to roll-back" when MPs asked him to repeat a few paras. "Rollback of the speech, no problem," Mr Mukherjee said, smiling broadly, as the House laughed with him. For the Congress, though, the lighter side of the crisis created by Ms Banerjee is exceedingly tough to find.

Its senior-most leaders or core committee will meet today after Mr Mukherjee presents the Budget to discuss Mr Trivedi's exit. Sources say that the party believes that it's Ms Banerjee's right to change her nominee to the Cabinet - she has asked for Mr Trivedi to be replaced by her party's Mukul Roy. But the Congress had stressed last week to its allies that they must not cause the government embarrassment and must work together to keep the Opposition at bay. Ms Banerjee has ignored all that. Her criticism of Mr Trivedi's Budget is in stark contrast to the PM, who publicly declared it as modern and progressive. And her insistence on Mr Trivedi's immediate dismissal will allow the Opposition to amp up the campaign it began in Parliament yesterday. The BJP's Sushma Swaraj asked the government, "Is Mr Trivedi still the country's Railways Minister or not?"

The Congress meet today will also reportedly consider a break-up with Ms Banerjee's party. In place of the 19 Lok Sabha MPs her Trinamool Congress brings to the UPA, the Congress may co-opt Mulayam Singh Yadav and his 22 Samajwadi Party MPs. Mr Yadav may also be offered a Cabinet post.

Samajwadi Party leader Shailendra Kumar today said, "Even if Trinamool Congress pulls out of the government, our support will continue."

But those discussions are still restricted to a potential Plan B. Sources in both the Congress and Ms Banerjee's party say that both sides are feeling their way towards a compromise.  On Monday, in Parliament, the Prime Minister will address some of the concerns raised by Ms Banerjee to the new National Counter Terror Centre or NCTC. Ms Banerjee has said the NCTC's powers violate the autonomy of state governments and federalism. Her party moved amendments to the President's address to Parliament earlier this week, asking for a reference to the NCTC to be deleted. The President's address outlines the government's agenda; allies rarely ask for amendments.  The BJP has moved similar amendments on the NCTC, and is likely to press for a vote. That could put Ms Banerjee's MPs in the awkward position of voting with the BJP and against the government. The PM, in his reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address on Monday, is expected to assuage Ms Banerjee's fears about the NCTC. That could help diffuse at least some of the tension between the political partners.

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