Mamata, Panja vie for berth in Cabinet

By our Special correspondent

KOLKATA, JULY 19. The intra-Trinamool Congress rivalry has taken a nasty turn with both Ms. Mamata Banerjee and Mr.Ajit Panja lobbying hard with the NDA leadership to keep each other out of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre.

Ms. Banerjee on Monday slapped a suspension on Mr.Panja, the recalcitrant Trinamool MP, for his `` anti- Banerjee'' activity and posted the NDA leadership of her decision. Mr.Panja , on his part, described the exercise as `` illegal`` saying Ms. Banerjee's party was yet to communicate its decision to him.

``The suspension will not come in the way of my becoming a minister, ''he said.

Both the camps, however, are going to town claiming the NDA leadership had made up its mind to induct one and keep the other out of the Cabinet as and when the Prime Minister, Mr.A.B.Vajpayee, reshuffled it before Parliament's monsoon session.

According to Ms. Banerjee's supporters, the NDA leadership which had initially decided to reward Mr.Panja for his loyalty by providing him a berth in the Government, was now of the opinion that it would be a gainer if it accepted Ms. Banerjee into the NDA fold because she had better control over the seven MPs than Mr.Panja. Mr.Panja's supporters said the NDA leadership would most certainly induct Mr. Panja into the Ministry even if Ms. Banerjee was opposed to the idea as the Prime Minister himself had publicly assured Mr.Panja a ministerial berth.

Predictably, with hardly two days for the monsoon session, tension is running high in the Trinamool. Each one of the factions is currently busy to prove to the NDA leadership that its claim to the Ministry is just.To do so, the rival camps are trying their best to make their respective rallies on July 21 a success. While Ms. Banerjee is putting up a show in Kolkata on that day in remembrance of those Trinamool supporters who had been allegedly killed in clashes with the Leftists over the years, Mr.Panja is planning a rally in Chinsurah in Hooghly district the same day on the same issue.

The July 21 rally is important as Ms. Banerjee is expected to announce her decision with regard to the Trinamool's return to the NDA from the rally.Chances are, she would now announce her decision to rejoin the NDA and wait for an opportune moment to be reinducted into the Cabinet.

According to sources, Ms. Banerjee would not visit Delhi before Monday. She has asked Mr.Nitish Sengupta, MP, to participate in the NDA meeting in New Delhi today.

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