``We don't approve of publicly airing demands for berths in the Union Cabinet instead of directly approaching Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,'' BJP state general secretary Rahul Sinha said. The Trinamool Congress has virtually made it conditional that the party would consider berths in the Union Cabinet only if it was given portfolios like the Railways.

Party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, after a party working committee meeting in Calcutta last night, told reporters that her party party could do something for West Bengal if it received the Railways portfolio.

Criticising Banerjee for her reported preference for the Railway Ministry at the press conference, the BJP leader said, ``There may be demands for a particular portfolio, but it should have been discussed with the Prime Minister before going to the press.''

In the wake of pulls and pressures from coalition partners seeking plum ministries, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had last night abruptly put off expansion of his Council of Ministers planned for January 15 till the month-end.

The BJP leader said ``irresponsible'' steps on the part of the ruling coalition's allies would further discredit the Vajpayee Government. Nothing should be done to harm consensus politics which has come to stay in India, he added.

Sinha said the BJP did not subscribe to the Trinamool Congress' view that the allotment of Railways alone would help serve the people of West Bengal better.

Meanwhile, senior leader and chief whip of the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party Ajit Panja, who had expressed her willingness to participate in the Ministry, did not attend the crucial meeting last night.

While Panja sent a letter to Banerjee saying he had fever and would abide by whatever decision was taken at the meeting, party insiders said he had stayed away because of his differences with Banerjee, who was not very keen on joining the Government at this stage.

Two other Trinamool MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Akbar Ali Khondakar, favoured the party's participation in the Union Ministry, saying its inclusion would enhance the party's ``prestige'' and give more stability to the BJP-led ruling coalition.

Party insiders said even after realising that it would be difficult for her to get the `Bengal package' implemented by staying out of Government, Banerjee was in two minds, as she did not want to identify herself too much with the BJP because of the shape of things to come.

Banerjee said despite her party's ideological differences with the BJP, the parties discussed the issue of joining the government only at the request of the Prime Minister. At the same time, she was concerned about the ``non-implementation'' of the package which was vital for the Trinamool Congress's survival. The `Bengal package' should be given priority in the forthcoming Union Budget, she demanded.