New Delhi:
Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy will be sworn in today as the new Railways Minister, replacing party colleague Dinesh Trivedi who stepped down on Sunday.
Mr Roy, who is currently the Minister of State for Shipping, will be administered the oath of office as a cabinet minister by President Pratibha Patil at 10 am today at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. His induction into the Union Cabinet comes after the President accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation on Monday night. The latter was forced to quit as Railways Minister following a demand for his removal by his party chief Mamata Banerjee, who was upset over the hike in passenger fares announced by in the his maiden Railway Budget last week.
In fact, Ms Banerjee had promptly announced Mr Roy's name as Mr Trivedi's replacement. "Mukul Roy will be next Railways Minister. He has been a Trinamool MP for six years already. He has been re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time. He is a good worker. Now the government will have to decide," Ms Banerjee had said last week. A firm sign of him being Ms Banerjee's choice as the new minister became clearer after he accompanied her to New Delhi on Sunday for the party's parliamentary meeting that was held on Monday.
Intesretingly, Ms Banerjee and Mr Trivedi came face to face at this meeting - their first since March 9 when all leaders of the party had met. But despite the obvious estrangement in ties, the Trinamool boss told NDTV that Mr Trivedi "he wants to continue with the party". "It was a good meeting," she said. (Read)
It was only on Sunday night that Mr Trivedi finally obliged her by submitting his resignation. For four days after she asked the PM to remove him, Mr Trivedi said neither the PM nor his party chief had directly asked him to step down.
Mr Roy, who is currently the Minister of State for Shipping, will be administered the oath of office as a cabinet minister by President Pratibha Patil at 10 am today at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. His induction into the Union Cabinet comes after the President accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation on Monday night. The latter was forced to quit as Railways Minister following a demand for his removal by his party chief Mamata Banerjee, who was upset over the hike in passenger fares announced by in the his maiden Railway Budget last week.
In fact, Ms Banerjee had promptly announced Mr Roy's name as Mr Trivedi's replacement. "Mukul Roy will be next Railways Minister. He has been a Trinamool MP for six years already. He has been re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time. He is a good worker. Now the government will have to decide," Ms Banerjee had said last week. A firm sign of him being Ms Banerjee's choice as the new minister became clearer after he accompanied her to New Delhi on Sunday for the party's parliamentary meeting that was held on Monday.
Intesretingly, Ms Banerjee and Mr Trivedi came face to face at this meeting - their first since March 9 when all leaders of the party had met. But despite the obvious estrangement in ties, the Trinamool boss told NDTV that Mr Trivedi "he wants to continue with the party". "It was a good meeting," she said. (Read)
It was only on Sunday night that Mr Trivedi finally obliged her by submitting his resignation. For four days after she asked the PM to remove him, Mr Trivedi said neither the PM nor his party chief had directly asked him to step down.
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