We may be in for a more �visible� Prime Minister Tuesday March 15 2005 00:00 IST (NewInd Press)
When the first signals of the Congress� Operation Topple Parikkar in Goa became evident, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some of his senior ministerial colleagues had been disturbed about the moves being made by their colleagues in Panaji. As things became increasingly murky, the aides of the helpless "Doc" let it be known that the PM had not been in the loop. That was also the story put out when the Governor invited Shibu Soren to form the government in Ranchi. But there are signs of change. It was Manmohan Singh who took the initiative to call a meeting which decided that Shibu Soren had to be sacrificed to contain the wider damage to the party. They also decided that the Governor should invite Arjun Munda to form the government. And suddenly the uproar of the last few weeks has died down. It was the Prime Minister who decided that this was not the time to antagonise the judiciary. He felt that it was more important to defuse the tension building up between the different organs of the State, which had begun to upset the delicate constitutional balance. He put his weight behind his ministerial colleagues Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj and Home Minister Shivraj Patil who were totally opposed to the idea of a presidential reference to delineate the powers of the legislature. A day earlier, when a meeting was held at the residence of Pranab Mukherjee - attended by Cabinet Ministers including Arjun Singh, Kapil Sibal and senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni-the dominant view had favoured a Presidential reference. But it was decided to ascertain the views of Bhardwaj and Shivraj Patil who were away. The Congress had not opposed the possibility of a reference at the all party meet called by the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterji, following the apex court�s directive that the confidence vote in Jharkhand had to be advanced. The Lok Sabha Speaker has naturally been agitated at the erosion of the powers of the legislature that the directive represented. The powers of the governor to appoint a CM have not been subject to judicial review under the Constitution. It was Manmohan Singh who took the initiative to coordinate with the allies this time. Normally this is left to Sonia Gandhi. He called the Left leaders and took them in confidence about the proposal to give marching orders to Shibu Soren. He personally spoke to DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and to Lalu Yadav. He was also not his usual soft-spoken self in Parliament, and took on the Leader of Opposition LK Advani who had taken a swipe at him by calling him an "invisible PM". In an uncharacteristic riposte, the PM took at a dig at the Second Sardar Patel while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha. The PM�s "turnabout" is a response to the attack he has come under following the recent events in Jharkhand. When things began to go wrong as they di in Goa and Jharkhand, the PM cannot hide behind the plea that he was not kept informed,. It is the Prime Minister, not Sonia Gandhi, who is the custodian of the Constitution. That is why sympathy - "Bechara Manmohan" (Poor Manmohan) - may be giving way to harsher sentiments. Manmohan�s problems do not stem from a lack of understanding with Sonia Gandhi. The two have moved in step and they continue to meet every Friday and have a one to one. Later they are joined by four senior Cabinet Ministers, Pranab Mukherji, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil and Ghulam Nabi Azad - and by Ahmed Patel from the party. As of last week, Ambika Soni, who has been appointed head of the media department again has also started going to the weekly meeting. His problems come from some of his Cabinet colleagues who want to run their ministries as independent fiefdoms. However, the PM has come to rely heavily on Pranab Mukherji who has been put in charge of 12 GoMs (Groups of Ministers) to decide various issues. It is Manmohan Singh who has defined the role he will play or not play. It is he who is hemmed in by what he describes as his "limitations". He is supposed to have left all the "political" work to Sonia Gandhi and this includes not just the affairs of the party which she is supposed to look after as the president of the party but also things like the appointment of governors. If he feels she is the repository of power, he is right. But if that is interpreted to mean that he should not involve himself in political decisions, he is wrong. He cannot be addressing himself to the economy alone, though it an open secret that Budget 2005 and the Railway Budget this year carried his personal imprint. But then, he is the country�s Prime Minister and not the Finance Minister. And without politics, he will be engaged only in administration - not governance. The recent events may compel Manmohan Singh to come out of his shell and play a more "political" role. We may be in for a more "visible" Prime Minister. - Forwarded by AlmeidaG, www.goa-world.com Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. Pick of the week: http://www.goa-world.com/goa/pintofamily/ Goa's finest websites: www.colaco.net www.supergoa.com www.goa-world.com Celebrate in Style.... Greet Someone You Love Back Home in Goa with Fresh Flowers Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.goa-world.com/expressions/ Konkani weekly V-Ixtt now online at www.v-ixtt.com Konkani monthly magazine now online at www.gulabonline.com __ Goans often find it easier to be a result of the past than a cause for the future. Isn't it time to change this? __ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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