Sometimes, gaps can be filled only by leaving holes behind. With P. Chidambaram emerging as an automatic choice to head the Finance Ministry in the wake of Pranab Mukherjee’s departure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was left with another big vacancy in North Block. Sending Sushil Kumar Shinde to the Home Ministry may be an uninspired decision but it is a safe choice. Over at Finance, the need of the hour is strength and direction and Mr. Chidambaram seems the person best equipped to provide both. He has been there and done that. And, he enjoys the confidence of the Prime Minister, who knows the person to pick when “animal spirits” are flagging. After all, Mr. Chidambaram was pulled out — not pushed out — of Finance to deal with the security challenges facing the nation after 26/11. That the economy is what needs mending now says a great deal about his reputation as a man who knows how to get down to business. At Home, he set up the National Investigation Agency to deal with terror crimes with inter-State or external ramifications. He also pushed for better intelligence sharing between different agencies, even if his plans for a National Counter-Terrorism Centre got stuck. On the negative side, the major internal security challenges remain where they were — the Maoist insurgency, the alienation of people in Kashmir and areas of the northeast — but this has more to do with the lack of imagination within the security establishment, not to speak of dissonance within the Centre on key questions.
If Mr. Chidambaram comes back to Finance by design, Mr. Shinde has got Home by default. The Congress needed its own man in the Ministry and his seniority and loyalty tilted the scales in his favour. Though he has not had a particularly successful run as a Minister so far, he might score over Mr. Chidambaram in his political handling of non-Congress, non-UPA Chief Ministers while pressing for greater powers for the Central security agencies. Mr. Chidambaram had gotten used to having his way on all issues and, at times, seemed unprepared for the opposition to his proposals. Mr. Shinde, less sure of himself, could bring all the States on board where a coordinated response to a particular threat is needed. Political acumen can, at times, make up for the lack of technocratic prowess and it is possible the new Home Minister may also make his mark in finding a way out on issues like Telangana and Manipur. Regrettably, the vacancy Mr. Shinde has left in Power has been filled on a temporary basis. The fact that the Prime Minister did not see fit to get someone to run the Ministry on a permanent basis — that too at a time when Delhi received a nasty reminder of the looming power crisis — speaks volumes for the UPA’s continuing torpor.
Keywords: Indian politics, UPA government, Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde, India power crisis, Manmohan Singh, national security, Finance Ministry, Power Ministry
UPA chief and PM have hit two birds with one shot. Chidambaram is expected to wash out all the remaining records of corruption in 2G and other scams as well as make Swiss banks as friendly as possible to our political class and corporates. Simultaneously Shinde can wash out all CBI investigations on disproportinate assetes and irregularities by friends like Mayawati, Lallu, Pawar/Patel, Karunanidhi family, Mulayam, JaganReddy as also the insiders like Ashok Chavan,Kalmadi etc. Congress may not come back to power in 2014 and they do not want even the skeletons to remain in the cupboards and wish that no successor government can find any thing to take action. Right men in the right job indeed??
Sir,
The minor reshuffle of the union cabinet
necessitated due to elevation and election of Pranab Mukherjee to the
presidentship.The sudden shifting of mr chidambaram from home to
finance is rather a demotion. It may be true that looking at the
economic scene and downward GDP, a man with high experience about
indian economy was vital to steer the country to move forward.AT THE
SAME TIME , moving the person who has already occupied the same post
is very surprising. The day after this shift of Mr shinde to home
ministry ,a major part of the country is powerless and plunged into
darkness. It high time, UPA 11 take the issue seriously and do to
increase the power supply and give a boost to industrial production
and tell the world that india can come back with a winning note.
UPA11sould also arrange major investment in power sector to meet
the needs of our growing economy.
Best time to make Rahul Gandhi the Dy.PM.He may not get another chance.Congress cannot hope to form a govt in 2014.If any good happens it will go to the credit of Rahul.If everhey thing goes bad the fall guy(PM) is always there.
Shifting Mr shinde and collapse of three grids
that supplies electric power to the three fourth of the country making
the country under complete black out has occured one after another. it
was merely a co-incidence.Although the incumbant to the home ministry
got a plum job which was unexpected.It is something like crow sitting
on the mango tree and the mango fruit falls simultaneously. One cannot
say because the crow sat on the tree, the mango falls. Even without the
crow, mango would have fallen . This describes mr shinde,s movement to
home ministry.Having said that, the greatest calamity that has befallen
in the northern part of india is very serious and has to be corrected
with all force and determination. and also keep vigilant to avoid such
repetition in future.UPA should avoid lackluster approach and tackle it
at all cost.
since there is no choice,we need to accept pc as our finance
minister.But every one has to remember that during his term as finance
minister in 2003-2008 India has seen growth than ever since
independence.Now clearly situation such that tough decisions needed to
be taken hope PC might to well........all the best pc
While PC's switch to finance is the best option available at the moment, we are left to wonder whether madam is slowly but surely ensuring that all the aspirants for the top slot take a flak and proved unsuccessful before anointing her son to the throne.
Mr shinde's move to Home is a move to politically finish him in maharashtra, it is too big a risk taken at this crucial juncture when the nation is confronting militant attacks from within and the govt does not have a plan either to counter them or to engage them . We only hope that PC will be allowed to do his job and move forward and not be defending his 2G scar all the time in his new innings.It is not going to go away so easily till Supreme court gives a clean chit absolving of his role in the sordid scam.If he goes down again, then congress will sure call for fresh elections.
It is really unfortunate that a tainted person who has not been cleared of his involvement in the 2G spectrum case and carries with him a doubt about his succes in the Lok Sabha election is made as the Finance Minister again! Chidambaram's return as FM is the saddest event in the recent past and a blow not only for the economic health of our nation but also for the well being of the Aam Aadmi, his Baron- arrogant comment over the price rise of a rupee for rice vis a vis a bottle of purified water they buy at Rs 20 bearing witness to it!
It appears that by giving back the Finance portfolio to him,the UPA has favoured Chidambaram with an exit route to escape from the 2 G scam?
The all important portfolio of Home Ministry given to some neophyte
Shinde just because he has beaten every other good for nothing candidate
in subservience to Gandhi Family shows the impending debacle of this UPA
in the forthcoming general Elections.
Dear Sir
Your arguments regarding possibility of Mr. Shinde's success as Home Minister is specious. If " not-being-sure" & "loyalty" to the Gandhi family" were such a desirable trait, Shinde would have been succesful in atleast one of the ministry he has / had been enstrusted with in his long political career but facts scream otherwise. Call me cynic but he, like other coutnless politicians, will continue to be an albatross around our collective neck.
We are happy that Mr. PC is given the Finance Ministry. He is appropriate person to steer the ship from the troubled waters.All sections should support him. Congratulations Sir for assuming chage once agin as FM of the country.
Everyone admits that Narendra Modi is an excellent administrator. But that doesn't mask the
fact that he is tainted by the Gujarat riots even though nothing has been legally proved
against him. But he is shunned like the plague by the media. In the case of P.Chidambaram,
why should we overlook the accusations on Mr. Chidambaram in the 2G scam though not
legally proved. Nobody questions his suitability to become Finance Minister based on his
knowledge and past performance, but his taking over the Finance Ministry before he washes
off the stigma of the above referred alleged taint on his reputation will be most
inappropriate.
It is amazing how the critical Home Ministry has been handed over to Shinde. The Congress has learnt nothing from the performance of Shivraj Patil during his term as Home Minister. Actually, every ministry is important but the fact is there are few competent persons within the Congress who can provide able leadership and also pass the all important "loyalty test". Ultimately, loyalty trumps competency with results that are out there for the world to see.
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