Babul Supriyo all set to become union minister

Singer turned BJP MP Babul Supriyo is likely to be inducted in the union council of ministers Sunday, party leaders said.

Supriyo, who pulled off a big surprise win in the May Lok Sabha poll from Asansol seat in West Bengal, would become the sole representative in Narendra Modi's ministry from the state once he takes oath around 1 p.m. Sunday when the reshuffle is scheduled.

He will be the third Bharatiya Janata Party minister from the eastern state after Tapan Sikdar and Satyabrata Mukherjee.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha said Modi had himself called up Supriyo and informed him of the decision to make him a minister.

"It can safely be assumed that Babul Supriyo will be a minister at the centre. He will meet the prime minister tomorrow and his portfolio would be announced then. Yesterday (Friday) I was informed about the development by the party leadership. The prime minister had also called Babul Supriyo," he said here.

Supriyo was unavailable for comment, but a close aide said he would be travelling to Delhi for the swearing in.

"I hope so," the aide replied, when asked if Supriyo would be made a central minister.

The youthful Bollywood singer, who has given hits like "Pari Hai Ek Pari...", "Chanda Chamke..." and "Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara...", was picked up by the party to contest from Asansol in the Lok Sabha election.

The articulate Supriyo's toughness, hard work and determination had then pleased the party leadership, as he remained unfazed despite being heckled by the ruling Trinamool Congress during the campaigning.A The administration had even made the 43-year-old an accused under the Arms Act besides slapping a case for allegedly "entering a temple in a drunken state".

While canvassing for Supriyo ahead of the parliamentary poll, Modi had promised to make him a "hero of the country".

"I want Babul in parliament. I have come to seek form you the son of Asansol.I am giving you my word, that I will make this youth a hero of the country," Modi had said.

Overriding the vicious campaign against him, Supriyo became the first BJP MP from the seat, defeating his nearest Trinamol rival Dola Sen - a trade union leader - by over 70,000 votes. The BJP had won two seats from the state in the April-May polls. S.S. Ahluwalia won from Darjeeling, but with the backing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Earlier, the BJP had two ministers from the state in the Atal Behari Vajpayee led National Democratic Alliance government. Sikdar was a union minister from 1999 to 2004, and Mukherjee from 2000 to 2004.