BackCampaign to induct Rahul in govt revives
Campaign to induct Rahul in govt revives
PremiumFilling the void: If Gandhi succumbs to the pressure, it will not only imply a serious restructuring of Congress-led UPA but will also end the general secretary’s hiatus from public life. Photo by Pra
New Delhi: Pressure on Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to join government has been revived, ahead of a likely reshuffle of the Union cabinet.
Foreign affairs minister and senior Congressman S.M. Krishna made the pitch on Wednesday. “I am one of those who believe it is necessary for Rahul Gandhi to come into the government and help the government solve the problems we face as a country," Krishna told reporters.
Analysts say the foreign minister’s remark signals the growing pressure on the leadership to induct fresh and young talent even as it served as an implicit indictment of the embattled government of which he himself is a part. It suffered its latest reverse when Virbhadra Singh had to resign from the cabinet on Tuesday, following the framing of corruption charges against him in Himachal Pradesh.
Gandhi’s office did not respond to requests for a reaction to Krishna’s remarks.
The foreign minister’s comments came a day after veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee quit as finance minister to contest the 19 July presidential election.
With the exit of the two senior ministers, a major reshuffle of the Union cabinet is expected. Earlier, two other cabinet ministers, A. Raja, who headed the telecom ministry, and Dayanidhi Maran, who oversaw textiles, as well as minister of state for foreign affairs Shashi Tharoor quit the government under controversial circumstances.
While the Prime Minister retained the finance portfolio, science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been given additional charge of the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises, vacated by Virbhadra Singh.
Speculation of a revamp of the Congress organization has also been rife after party president Sonia Gandhi developed health problems. Gandhi went to the US for treatment of an undisclosed ailment last year; she appointed Rahul Gandhi, along with defence minister A.K. Antony, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi to oversee party affairs in her absence.
Krishna, who pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already extended an invitation to Rahul Gandhi to join the government, noted that the Congress general secretary “himself seems to be not inclined at this point of time to join (the cabinet)."
Rahul Gandhi, a Lok Sabha member since 2004, has maintained that he preferred to work to build up the party and has been making efforts to revive the youth and student wings of the Congress. Some have viewed it as a reluctance to take on government responsibilities.
N. Bhaskar Rao, a political analyst who has been observing the Congress party for more than four decades, said Krishna’s remarks are the latest indication of mounting pressure on the Congress president to persuade an “unwilling" Rahul Gandhi to step into the government.
“They are building up the pressure yet again. But it seems she (Sonia Gandhi) does not have many options and Rahul may have to succumb to the pressure now," Rao said. Krishna’s remarks were also an “admission that the current leadership in the government has not been able to deliver."
The Congress-led government has been facing charges of keeping key policy decisions in limbo; differences within the ruling coalition forced it to keep on hold several key reform decisions, including allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, and policy changes relating to pension and insurance sectors.
There has been speculation that some senior ministers in the cabinet would leave to take up organizational responsibilities in the Congress. According to two Congress leaders who did not want to be identified, there would be a “major rejig" in the cabinet as well as in the party.
“However, its not clear when is it going to take place. Nothing is likely to happen before the presidential and vice-presidential elections. It is likely to take place after the monsoon session," one of them, a party general secretary, said.
“The party is serious about going for a makeover in the government and the party. You will see it in two months," said the second person, a Lok Sabha member.
elizabeth.r@livemint.com
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