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| PM's next step being keenly watched | | Cong. party moves into damage control mode | | POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, July 9: All eyes are focused on the UPA government's economic arm, Manmohan Singh, and political arm, Sonia Gandhi. The Congress supremo, Sonia, has, of course, been projected by her loyalists as a mightier political figure than her Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. But her party, happily for the Opposition, is battling mounting critcism over reforms.
In plain language, Sonia's party has just been forced to move into damage control mode. This follows an embarrassing U-turn on privatisation, which triggered rumours that the Prime Minister was quitting. Rumours were set afloat amid noises, though subdued, of tussles between the Congress party and itscoaliton partners in government on economic reforms and other issues.
Significantly, the crisis also came after stinging criticism of Manmohan Singh’s government by his own Congress party and the government’s communist allies for rising inflation and higher fuel prices. Political analysts and newspaper editorials said that the criticism was tarnishing the image and authority of the Prime Minister -- who as Finance Minister introduced market reforms in India in 1991 -- as well as the government.
Analyst, Rasheed Kidwai, biographer of the Congress party’s Italian-born chief Sonia Gandhi, placed himself on record as saying:“There seems to be a lack of communication amongst the various key players.What is needed is a coordinator, who will engage the coalition partners, the Congress party and the government to iron out differences before they become public and unmanageable".
"Gentleman Prime Minister" (Manmohan Singh) will have to admit that he is today a beleaguered ruler. Keen observers say that he is "unhappy" and "angry" running the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) that is increasingly proving the popular saying "good economy is bad politcs" to be true. Reason: he hardly has any authority to take his pro-reforms process forward, as political compulsions of holding the coalition government together reigns supreme. Plus the ruling United Progressive Alliance government’s decision to put Singh’s disinvestment process in treading water has considerably dented his pro-reforms image.
Coming on the heels of a series of despicable shenanigans in UPA, now almost everyone is asking: Is not Prime Minister’s authority fast eroding? Therefore, the financially fizzy India that is entirely on the rolls due to well-to-do ‘economic reforms’ could be in for a next big political crisis. Does that mean Manmohan Singh will resign? Or will there be a mid-term poll?
The latest verdict, where the reforms process has been put on the back burner, is indicative of Manmohan Singh not getting the desired political support from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take his initiatives forward. DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s rather ‘impolite warning’ to Sonia on his party's intention to reconsider support to the Manmohan Singh government is an instance that explains all. The DMK's warning will only strengthened the anti-reforms Left party hardliners.
So, next time expect Left parties to bite severely and not alone ‘bark’, if the government does another Neyveli Lignite Corporation soon. The DMK’s threat has also exposed that the Congress is yet to learn the art of managing coalition. If Sonia has refused to back her Prime Minister on Neyveli Lignite disinvestment, it signifies that her commitment towards reforms is shaky and notwithstanding a snub from the ally, she and her party want to stick to power.
What does this augur for Prime Minister, who the Opposition have termed No. 2 in command after the UPA chairperson? “The situation does not bode well for him. The UPA is definitely in predicament, if not immediate crisis. The decision to put all disinvestment process on hold is very undesirable,” said a senior Congress leader. However, there are many within Congress, who openly express their loyalty for Sonia, and are critical of Dr Singh-run administration that is heading towards a muddle. Congress seems to be singing together with the Left’s frustration of Prime Minister’s ‘anti-working class’ orientation and the government’s failure to make a difference.
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