Title - Mamata predicts LS polls in 3 months

Kolkata (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday claimed that the next general elections would be held in the next two to three months, instead of 2014 as scheduled. Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief, also claimed that her party would regain the railway portfolio after the elections.

"As a railway minister I did almost all for Bengal. And for the small amount of work which is still to be done? I will also finish that. This is a matter of only two to three months as the next Lok Sabha elections will occur then," Banerjee said while speaking at an event here to mark the International Women's Day.

She hinted that in the next general elections, the Trinamool would secure enough seats and hold the railway portfolio in the government. "We will then regain the railway ministry and complete all pending works. You don't need to worry" she said.

Taking a dig at the Centre for taking away bulk revenue from the state's exchequers, she said: "In Bengal, annual revenue stands at Rs 21,000 crore, while a total of Rs.26,000 crore goes out to the central exchequer from the state's coffers."