Did you know he's an old associate of Kejriwal, and offered to resign for Anna? A flying buddy of Rajiv? What nickname did his cabinet colleagues give him? Here's what you may not know about the man of the hour.

Dinesh Trivedi is indeed the man of the hour. To some he is a would-be martyr, to others a bali ka bakra soon to be sacrificed by M&M, Mamata and Manmohan.

Whatever the case may be, Trivedi has secured the national spotlight, wresting it, if only for a moment, from his attention-hungry queen. So what do we know about the man? There's the typical biographical information: BA from Xaviers, MBA from University of Texas, Austin, followed by a stint in Chicago. He returned to Kolkata as a businessman, and entered politics as Congresswala, but has spent the last 10-plus years serving Didi. That's all Wikipedia stuff. Here are five amusing and lesser known facts about Mr Trivedi:

I heart Anna: Long before he was asked to resign, Trivedi had offfered to quit – in support of Anna Hazare's fast.

In the midst of Anna's fast in Ramlila – and in the thick of campaigning for the Bengal elections – then Union Minister of state for health and family welfare told reporters, "I told Hazare that if you need, I will resign." Trivedi's explanation for his letter to Anna: He's known both Hazare and Kejriwal for years, and has been battling for Lokpal-type body since 1995, when he filed a joint PIL demanding the release of the Vohra Committee findings on corruption in politics.

The declaration took everyone, including Mamata, by surprise. At the time, an anonymous Trinamool source said, "This is an individual decision and not a party decision. He will be requested to reconsider it as we are still very much a part of the government."

Oh Mamata, Annaji could have saved you a world of grief – if you only let him.

The Gandhi connection: A number of news reports have belaboured Mamata's irritation at Trivedi's cosy relationship with Rahul. According to India Today, back in February, she gave him a shellacking for visiting the young man at home, accusing him of being a secret Congress stooge.

Trivedi's defence was that he had gone to discuss railway projects for Uttar Pradesh, and besides he knew Rajiv Gandhi from his flying days. Trivedi stood by Rahul's side at his father's funeral, and to date remains an unashamed Rajiv Gandhi fan, telling Rediff, "Rajiv was jovial man. He had clear heart and he would have changed the destiny of India if he would have lived longer."

Bengal wars: Known for his genial charm, Trivedi has remained mostly above the fray of the usual infighting – with the exception of Pranab Mukherjee. So famous were their altercations during Union cabinet meetings that their colleagues nicknamed Mukherjee as 'Indian Ambassador to West Bengal' while Trivedi was dubbed the 'High Commissioner of West Bengal in Delhi'.

At the height of the FDI ruckus, when Pranab dismissed Trinamool's opposition as "political," Trivedi responded with a mini civics lesson, laced with elaborate sarcasm: "Parliament is not Lions Club or Rotary Club. It is a political thing...This is not a canteen where we come and have a chit-chat. This is serious business and part of politics. So he is very correct. It is absolutely part of politics."

More recently, responding to rumours that his rebellion was instigated by the Finance minister, Trivedi said coyly, "Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. And I am sure, Pranab Mukherjee is a very wise person, and if I would have asked him, I know his answer would have been, consult your Leader first and then do whatever you want to do."

We leave it to the experts to decode the very many layers of meaning in that carefully worded reply.

The long predicted fall: Whether he resigns or not, the omens predicting Trivedi's fall from Didi's grace were easy to read. The earliest came in November when Mamata exiled him to the infamous "cattle class" while flying back to Kolkata on a special plane reserved for Pranab Mukherjee. Up in first class with her: Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Mukul Roy

News reports also indicate that Trivedi was openly moping about his prospects in meetings with railway officials in the months leading to the budget:

On getting repeated feedback that a fare hike needs to be effected, he told the officers that his loyalty is to Railways and he has to fulfil his duty. "...if fares need to be hiked, I will increase them,'' he said. However, after a pause of a few seconds, the brave words were followed by a dejected "If I am allowed to present the budget" An official of the Northeast Frontier Railway zone said that in a span of 20 minutes, the minister swayed between optimism and cynicism.

An example of the bipolar guide to managing expectations, no doubt.

The talented Mr. Trivedi: It's well known that Trivedi was a silver spoon baby with a boarding school education, high flying corporate jobs, and a lucrative air freight business. His comfortable background also allowed him the freedom to explore his many talents.

For example, the words most likely to appear in any Trivedi profile is "ethnic kurtas." And not just because he wears them, but also "designs them and they are stitched by his longtime tailor in Kolkata," claims India Today.

Other than his fashion design predilections, Trivedi also once nursed filmi ambitions. He once applied to the Pune Film Institute to train as an actor, but abandoned it after deciding that the director's job was "more serious."

If not a Bollywood legend, then a Swamiji perhaps. Trivedi also contemplated joining the Ramkrishna Mission, but was dissuaded by horrified relatives. These spiritual inclinations may well explain his more creative responses to media questions:

NDTV: Last question, do you still believe that you will be Rail Minister tomorrow morning will you be Rail Minister? Will your Rail Budget get passed? Trivedi: Can anybody say whether I am going to be alive or anybody would be alive tomorrow? Nothing is certain. So please have a philosophical and spiritual approach to life. Do your part of the duty to the best of your ability and that's it. This is a country, which has taught so much of spirituality. And if you have not learnt, then you haven't learnt life. You have wasted your time. You have wasted the birth also.

We stand corrected, Mr Minister.