In an unprecedented move, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi was all set to lose his job barely hours after he presented his maiden budget when he fell foul of his party leader Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over his decision to go in for a fare hike.
Presenting a fresh crisis for the beleaguered UPA government, Mamata Banerjee sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late tonight asking him to remove Dinesh Trivedi and replace him with TMC leader Mukul Roy.
UPA sources said the PM would have no choice but to accept the TMC supremo’s request as it is the prerogative of an alliance partner to name its ministers.
Mamata’s missive has not only put renewed strain on the already tenuous relationship between the Congress and the TMC, it also raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the Rail Budget as the minister who presented it finds himself on his way out.
