Daily News & Analysis
NEW DELHI, Jan 28: The long-awaited expansion/ reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers may bring a surprise with the induction of two governors who have been seeking a return to active politics.
A highly placed source in government said Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushilkumar Shinde and Maharashtra Governor SM Krishna are being considered for Cabinet posts.
Four Cabinet berths are vacant - external affairs, power, coal, and sports. The source said the swearing-in ceremony may be held before the President leaves on a ten-day tour of East Asia.
The source said deep thought is going into the choice of external affairs minister. Like previous governments, the current dispensation is keen that the Prime Minister’s office should continue to drive foreign policy.
It also does not want a repetition of the disconnect that was visible, sometimes with embarrassing consequences, between the ministry and the PMO when K Natwar Singh was holding the post.
The PMO, therefore, wants someone who is not hostage to a Cold War mindset and can work in tune with the government’s policy initiatives. It is in this context that the names of Shinde and Krishna are being mentioned.
But the source added a note of caution, that discussions are still on and nothing is final.
Other names being considered for induction into the Union Council of Ministers are Saifuddin Soz, Anand Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Vyalar Ravi. They are all likely to be ministers of state.
Soz may replace Ghulam Nabi Azad as the government’s Muslim face from Jammu and Kashmir. But the Congress is having a hard time finding a second Muslim minister to replace PM Sayeed, who died recently. It’s a toss-up between Mohsina Kidwai and AR Antulay, with the former having an edge because she is a woman from Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress is trying to make a comeback.
Portfolio distribution is also being discussed. Senior ministers like Pranab Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil, and P Chidambaram are unlikely to be moved. Law Minister HR Bhardwaj may also stay, despite the controversy over unfreezing of Ottavio Quattrocchi’s London bank accounts.
But Mani Shankar Aiyar may lose one of his two portfolios. The source said there has been considerable tension between Aiyar and the PMO on matters connected with the petroleum ministry.
Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal may be shifted to an economic ministry. The source said Singh is also pleased with Commerce Minister Kamal Nath’s performance and may shift him to a more significant economic ministry.