All is not over for Mamata

The most talked-about element in Vajpayee's reshuffle of his ministry -- the eleventh since he assumed power in October 1999 -- was the drama leading to non-inclusion of Mamata and her party colleague Sudip Bandopadhaya in the cabinet.

After the reshuffle at the Presidential Palace here, Vajpayee told reporters that talks were on to persuade Mamata to rejoin his government and for that he would soon effect a "minor" expansion of the ministry.

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Mamata, who stayed out of the cabinet to protest Vajpayee's decision to induct Sudip without consulting her, is now expected to come here for consultations with the prime minister after he returns on June 4 from his overseas tour beginning tomorrow.

In fact, Vajpayee reportedly asked Mamata to fly to Delhi yesterday for discussions to sort out the problem arising out of the decision to give a ministerial berth to Sudip.

But the Trinamool Congress chief reportedly conveyed to Vajpayee that there was no need for hurry and the matter can wait till his return from foreign tour.

Asked whether the BJP wanted to split Trinamool Congress by deciding to induct Sudip in the cabinet, Vajpayee said "there is no intention to break the party. On the contrary, we want to give more representation to it (in the cabinet)."

Mamata and Sudip were among the founders of Trinamool Congress in 1997 after breaking from Congress. But the two have fallen apart over differences on the issue of quitting Vajpayee government in February 2001 and India's ruling BJP-led alliance in the wake of a news portal's expose of corruption in defence purchases.