Cabinet cauldron: TMC gains, DMK sulks

New Delhi: After riding the victory wave in West Bengal during General Elections, the Trinamool Congress is now gaining in the portfolio allocation race, too, in the Capital.

Sources said the Congress has reached an agreement with the Trinamool Congress. It is believed that the party will get three Cabinet and four Minister of State posts.

Mamata Banerjee is likely to get the Railways portfolio. Trinamool could also get Surface Transport or Civil Aviation Ministry.

Meanwhile, Trinamool is also set to drive the final nail into the Left coffin. The party has demanded that the CPM government be dissolved in the state and they are not prepared to wait for the Assembly elections.

“The main aim of the TMC is to dismiss the Left government out of Bengal. We want the Assembly elections to happen before 2011. Dismissal of ministries have happened before and will happen again,” Trinamool leader Sougata Roy said.

Berth pangs

Cabinet berths aside, another big post to fill is that of the Lok Sabha Speaker. Who will take over from Somnath Chatterjee? Three names are doing the rounds.

First, is former Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. He has also served as the Power Minister in the earlier Cabinet. Then there is senior Congress leader Kishore Chandra Deo.

Sources said that the Congress is also considering former spokesperson Veerappa Moily. He was recently removed from the post for launching a verbal duel with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the elections.

So what will the Cabinet look like? Speculation has been on for the last two days. Here's what sources are telling CNN-IBN:

• Pranab Mukherjee is being seen as taking over the Finance Ministry.
• Salman Khursheed, Kamal Nath and SM Krishna are all in the running for the job of Foreign Minister.
• Kapil Sibal's name is doing the rounds for the External Affairs as well as the Human Resource and Development Ministry.
• While P Chidambaram may remain Home Minister.
• Among the allies, the DMK will get only two Cabinet berths. The Congress is keen to keep A Raja and T R Baalu out.
• M Karunanidhi's son Azhagiri may get a Cabinet berth while daughter Kanimozhi may get MoS Independent Charge.
• Congress is keen to offer IT only to Dayanidhi Maran.