Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set the stage for a reshuffle of his Council of Ministers, after announcing a slew of reform measures over the past two days and promising more major economic policy announcements soon, as indicated in Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s speech at the Planning Commission on Saturday.
The reshuffle, Congress sources said, could take place any day after President Pranab Mukherjee returns here on Monday from his West Bengal trip and the Trinamool Congress holds its meeting on Tuesday to take a call on how to respond to the government’s latest decisions.
With change in the air, a section of Congressmen is making a case for shifting the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Prithviraj Chavan and Kiran Kumar Reddy, to Delhi, arguing they are not capable of leading the party to victory in the next Assembly elections, due in 2014, along with the general election.
But, the sources told The Hindu, it was unlikely that any Congress Chief Minister would be moved to the Centre. In the case of Mr. Chavan, the party leadership does not wish to be accused of removing a man who has a reputation for probity at a time when it is enmeshed in scandals. Speculation on a change in Maharashtra was triggered after State Industries Minister Narayan Rane — a Maratha like Mr. Chavan — met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday. The sources said Mr. Rane had sought time with Ms. Gandhi a while ago and was eventually given time after she returned from abroad, and too much should not be read into the meeting.
In Andhra Pradesh, the party is in the midst of a political crisis; while Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, the party sources admitted, has not been able to take on rebel Jaganmohan Reddy, the Congress is finding it hard to find a replacement. The name of Union Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, an MP from the Telangana region, has been taken as a possible replacement but, the sources said, he is reluctant to go to Hyderabad, with Andhra Pradesh still in a mess, and the volatile Telangana issue hanging fire.
Party sources said the top Ministers, P. Chidambaram (Finance), Sushil Kumar Shinde (Home), S.M. Krishna (External Affairs) and A.K. Antony (Defence) were unlikely to be touched. In fact, Mr. Chidambaram may also get corporate affairs, now held by M. Veerappa Moily, who is likely to be formalised as Union Power Minister. And with general secretary Rahul Gandhi making it clear that he does not wish to join the government, the chances of any of the younger Ministers getting a promotion look slim. Spokesperson Manish Tewari may, however, be inducted as a Minister of State.
As part of the re-organisation of the party and the government, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi may be drafted for party work while retaining their ministerial jobs, the sources said. In any case, Mr. Azad is currently doing double duty as Minister and party general secretary.
As far as the Congress’ allies are concerned, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could get two new representatives: the names of party leader in the House T.R. Baalu and North Chennai MP T.K.S. Elangovan are being taken.
In the case of the Nationalist Congress Party, Minister of State Agatha Sangma is likely to be dropped and replaced by Tariq Anwar. As for the Trinamool Congress, with the threat of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pulling out her Ministers from the government, there appears to be little chance of any addition, the sources stressed.
Keywords: UPA-II, coalition politics, Cabinetreshuffle
Mr Rishang Keishing from Manipur should be given an honor being in the Congress for so many years and also present him a cabinet berth in the ensuing cabinet re-shuffle to have more learning of Administration from the oldest Parliamentarian by any bureaucrat in Indian administrative Service by giving a chance to work with him after serving Chief Minister for 12 years in a strife-torn State manipur in 70's and 80's.He is good administrator and a man of caliber to put to work effectively with result.Besides,this will definitely pleased many Manipuris in general and nagas in particular.
Now that the focus is shifting to performance and reviving the economy
and face the polls of 2014 the leader of the UPA 2 should not relent
and procrastinate before its allies for survival.It should be firm and
proceed further.Allowing foreign investment would only facilitate
better choice to the consumers and better prices to producers.When the
consumer sector was open to foreign investments there was uproar.But
it has helped the domestic industries to update their technology and
quality and survive amid competition.The cabinet should be filled with
able persons who could deliver the goods and not succumb to the
pressures of allies.Then it has a face to go to people since there is
little choice before voters-devil or deep sea.
aftter a long silence, PM now contremplates ome change n his cabinet andlet ,more young talented MPs comes to his help for implementation.FIrst sonia has to move out of her positin to give a place yet another youngester and Rahul has to take over Premiership,while PM Manmohan can call it a day for commplete realse of his political life and go to sabarmati to continue the gandhianlifel.
What the Union Cabinet needs is a clean-up and not a reshuffle. However the clean image of
the Prime Minister having been tarnished by the various scams, especially the latest,
labeled as "Coalgate", any cabinet cleansing effort by him will never be seen as one in public
perception. In the context of the disgraceful situation he and many of his ministerial
colleagues find themselves in, they really have only one way to go, to oblivion that is. Since
BJP is an outcast for most of the smaller parties, an alternate government perhaps cannot be
put in office. That is India's misfortune and the Congress party's fortune.
Haha ... this govt. is so fun loving and merry. Now we will witness musical chairs.
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