Sonia-PM meeting paves the way for cabinet reshuffle?

By M H Ahssan

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday discussed the feasibility of a minor shuffle of Cabinet berths amid signs of their being eager to have a politico — like former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna, as a full-scale finance minister.

The desirability of a minor recast of the Cabinet was an important subject in the discussion, held at the Prime Minister’s residence, which also focused on issues which would figure in the current session of Parliament that got underway on Wednesday.

Krishna who, importantly, had a meeting with Prime Minister has emerged as the potential political ‘pick’ for the FM’s slot, though there are indications that deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and former RBI Governor, C Rangarajan were PMO’s preferred choices for the job.

There was no clarity on the timing of the minor exercise which is being considered largely because of the feeling in the ruling party that the deteriorating economy could become a major issue during the build up to the Lok Sabha polls, requiring full-time attention. The convention not to effect changes in the ministerial team has so far been observed, barring a couple of exceptions in the past.

Such precedence is, however, is unlikely to come in the way if the Congress leadership settles on the choice for the vacancy caused by the shift of P Chidambaram to the home ministry in the wake of the terrorist attack on Mumbai. “Unusual times require extraordinary responses. That apart, remember there is nothing in the Constitution which prevents the Prime Minister from rearranging his ministerial deck mid way through a session”, said a senior Congress source.

The urgency to have a finance minister has been influenced by the anxiety to buffer the Prime Minister against the political fallout of the economic crisis which many feel has not peaked yet.

Sources say that left to himself, PM would like to appoint Rangarajan as Chidambaram’s replacement.

But Congress circles doubt whether the former RBI chief had the kind of political reflexes that would be required in the run up to the LS polls. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the other PMO favourite, is rated as more pragmatic, having been exposed to the constraints of governance, but Congress would prefer to have a full-blooded politician.

As of now, Krishna seems to fit the bill, though the search has not been exhausted yet. “He is under active consideration”, said sources familiar with the leadership’s thinking.

It is to be seen whether the exercise is limited to only finding a successor to P Chidambaram in the finance ministry or touches some other portfolios as well.