Ms Mamata Banerjee’s “dream team” at Writers’ Buildings, the state secretariat, is likely to include former Ficci secretary-general Amit Mitra, who has been her close adviser on economic policy and handling the party’s relationship with Indian industry. He could get either the finance or industry portfolios.
Other prominent figures could include former state chief secretary Manish Gupta, who defeated chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Jadavpur, whose administrative skills could be of immense use to a new government. Current Trinamul Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Partha Chatterjee, a former executive director of Andrew Yule, and theatre personality and academic Bratya Basu are also said to be in the reckoning.
Ms Banerjee has already announced that her Cabinet will be much smaller than that of her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
She is likely to retain certain key ministerial berths herself, including home, health and education.
Former Kolkata mayor Subrata Mukherjee is certain to be included. Other names doing the rounds include Subrata Bakshi, Madan Mitra, Firhad Hakim, Javed Ahmed Khan, Jyotipriya Mullick, Pundari Saha and Subrata Saha.
A top lawyer, Biman Banerjee, is being tipped for Assembly Speaker.
If the Congress responds to Ms Banerjee’s invitation and joins her government, PCC chief Manas Bhuniya, senior Congress leader Gyan Singh Sohanpal and first-time MLA Abhijeet Mukherjee, son of Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, are possible candidates for ministerial office. Mr Abhijit Mukherjee has also considerable industry experience, having worked for many years as a senior executive in the Steel Authority of India.