Sacked Railway Min Dinesh Trivedi may join BJP, but TMC leaders don't care

Just days after Manjul Krishna Thakur, Minister of State for Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, quit Trinamool Congress on Thursday to join BJP, it seems another minister may follow his footsteps. According to reports, Trinamool MP from Barrackpore, Dinesh Trivedi, most famous for being forced to resign as railway minister in 2012 after presenting a rail budget that angered Mamata, is next in line to join the ruling party. Sources told Times of India that Trivedi is unhappy with his party and is mulling joining BJP in the near future. Trivedi has not confirmed or denied the rumours yet. However, according to reports, Trivedi is a big fan of Narendra Modi and recently in an interview to a Gujarati daily praised the Prime Minister. “I have known Narendra Bhai since 1990. I know his capabilities, his vision and sense of patriotism. So my being in touch with him is nothing new, to answer your query as to whether I am in touch with BJP,” ToI quoted him as saying. [caption id=“attachment_360129” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PTI[/caption] Earlier, Mamata held a closed door meeting with her core committee members and warned them not to join the ‘saffron party.’ “I don’t want any of my leaders, ministers and legislators to backstab the party and stay with our organisation at the same time. Our doors are open for those who want to quit us. These leaders are free to leave us and join any party. But it is difficult for us to tolerate such persons to stay with us and allow them to pretend that they are our well wishers despite knowing the fact that such leaders are maintaining secret links with other parties,” an apparently angry Mamata told her leaders during the meeting on Friday. But, it seems TMC may not be too unhappy about Trivedi leaving the party. According to reports,  Trivedi does not share a great relationship with Mamata Banerjee and TMC MPs say the party will be happy to get rid of him. “Unwanted elements should be weeded out,” a TMC MP reportedly told Rediff. Trivedi presented his maiden rail budget on March 14, 2012, proposing, among other things, an overall fare hike. Thereafter, a miffed Banerjee immediately wrote to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss Trivedi.  Trivedi was replaced by Mukul Roy.