A comprehensive shake-up of ministerial berths, which had the imprimatur of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, was effected on Sunday, with the induction of 22 new ministers and changes in the portfolios of several others. The Rahul Gandhi touch was missing in the rejig: his nominees were promoted but no additional young MPs from his stable were awarded ministership.
The reshuffle seemed to have two objectives: to give the government the image of being effective and reform-oriented, and to beef up the presence of those states in the Union government where the Congress is politically powerful. So, Minister for Petroleum Jaipal Reddy was not just removed from that important ministry but also demoted (he now has the portfolio of science and technology and earth sciences). Reddy believes he has fallen victim to corporate lobbying and has told friends he may quit the government. On the other hand, it is the government’s worst kept secret that he was a reluctant participant in the decision to impose caps on domestic LPG cylinders. He has been replaced by Veerappa Moily, seen as a more practical politician. Similarly, the crucial railways portfolio has gone to former water resources minister Pawan Bansal, who is expected to take unpopular steps to turn railway finances around.
Andhra Pradesh, which contributes 33 of 42 seats to the kitty of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the Lok Sabha, Kerala and Rajasthan have got more nominees in the council of ministers than before.(AFTER THE REJIG)
Chandresh Kumari (Cabinet rank, minister for culture) and Lalchand Kataria (minister of state for defence) have been elected from Rajasthan. Shashi Tharoor and Kodikunnil Suresh have been appointed ministers of state in the ministries of human resource development and labour, respectively. Harish Rawat, credited with the Congress’ victory in Uttarakhand but not made chief minister, has been promoted to Cabinet rank and given the water resources ministry. Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Assam and Kerala have Congress governments. Assam finds representation in Ranee Narah, now minister of state for tribal affairs.
Salman Khurshid has been appointed minister for external affairs. Both Shashi Tharoor and Khurshid were considered to have been involved in controversies related to their personal wealth. Clearly, the government has drawn a line between the definition of corruption as understood by it and by civil rights activists. Khurshid has now earned the privileged membership of the Cabinet Committee on Security and Tharoor is back in government, having left under a cloud in 2009.
None of the young MPs from the so-called Rahul Gandhi brigade — Meenakshi Natarajan, Mausam Noor, Jyoti Mirdha, etc — have found a place in the council of ministers, though Gandhi’s proteges have been promoted. Jitendra Singh has been shifted from minister of state for home affairs to get independent charge of youth affairs and sports. Sachin Pilot has been moved from telecom to get independent charge of the ministry of corporate affairs.
Politically, the Cabinet rejig sends a strong message to Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee: that the Congress can do perfectly well without them. A known Banerjee baiter, Deepa Dasmunsi, has been appointed minister of state for urban development. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been made minister of state for railways. A H Ghani Khan Chaudhary has been appointed minister of state for health.
Interestingly, none of the states where the Congress is in alliance as a junior partner (Tamil Nadu, for instance) have been tapped for ministers, for fear of turning the alliance rancid. From Uttar Pradesh, where hopes of the Congress are still high, no new minister has been named, presumably to keep the Samajwadi Party equable.