|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE
PRIME MINISTER
Over the next five years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh further endeared himself to the middle class, as growth soared, industry flourished and the stock market touched a new high. There was a growing view that the country was safe under his leadership. It’s a different story today. With the UPA government facing allegations of corruption, the Prime Minister’s appeal to the middle class has eroded substantially following the 2G spectrum scam. Although nobody, not even the Opposition, has questioned Manmohan Singh’s personal integrity, questions are being asked about his inability to rein in his ministers. Nobody is willing to believe that the Prime Minister could not undo the decisions taken by former telecommunications minister A. Raja. "The charges against the Prime Minister are unlikely to stick but these have certainly weakened him," remarked a glum Congress leader. The Prime Minister’s authority has been further undermined as the recent spate of scams are being perceived as a blot on the economic liberalisation programme. Today, as economic reforms are seen to have become synonymous with corruption, he faces the onerous task of restoring confidence in the system. Governance has taken a hit even as spiraling food prices remain a cause of concern. The government is working feverishly to undo the damage through the multi-agency investigations it has ordered into the 2G spectrum scam, the Commonwealth games mess and the Adarsh Housing Society controversy. It will only be able to salvage its reputation if the investigating agencies are able to pin down high-profile personalities like Suresh Kalmadi and A.Raja. The Prime Minister will also have a chance to redeem himself if he is able to inject greater transparency and accountability in government functioning and concentrate on governance with a special focus on strengthening the delivery mechanisms which are a serious impediment in the implementation of ambitious government programmes. More importantly, Manmohan Singh will get an opportunity to press home the message on corruption when he rejigs his ministerial team by dropping those who are not clean and efficient. But this is easier said than done as caste and regional considerations and compulsions of coalition politics can hardly be overlooked. Though he does not usually betray his emotions in public, Manmohan Singh is prickly when questions are raised about his personal integrity. It was in response to these charges that he invoked "Caeser’s wife" and offered to appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on the 2G spectrum issue. While the BJP remains relentless in its campaign against the UPA government and the Prime Minister over the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum scam, Manmohan Singh has the advantage of time and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s support on his side. The next general elections are due only in 2014 and a lot can happen in the intervening period. Sonia Gandhi’s recent stout defence of the PM clearly showed that the bond between them remains as strong as ever.
|
||
|
|
||
WHEN
Congress
president Sonia Gandhi declined to be Prime Minister in 2004, her
decision met with approval of the middle class, which was partial to
economist-turned-politician Manmohan Singh, who was picked for the
country’s top post.