17 May : The Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said that her party would support the new Congress-led govt at the Centre, but would not indulge in political bargaining."Trinamool Congress will support and work with the Congress-led government at the Centre. We are not in favour of political bargaining. Even when I became the railway minister (during the NDA regime), I did not care for it. I hate bargaining," Banerjee told a press conference at Kolkata on Sunday."I have never cared for ministries, we care for the people," she said.When asked that RJD chief Lalu Prasad was also seeking the Railway ministry, Banerjee replied, "It is of no consequence to me. Let the government work for five years."
Banerjee said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rang her up on Saturday and congratulated her."Sonia Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee also rang me up. We are grateful to them."
The Trinamool chief said that she was happy that the Congress would not have to take the support of the CPI(M).The party, which has won 19 Lok Sabha seats, excluding one wrested by Trinamool ally SUCI, wanted stability, development, people’s security, a solution to unemployment and electricity crisis, Banerjee said.
The parliamentary party will meet in Kolkata at 3.30 pm on Monday, she said.