The Congress has brought back P Chidambaram to the finance ministry to handle the tough task of reviving the economy and helping the party in the build-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. His place in the home ministry has been taken by a “safe” Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Chidambaram’s appointment comes against the backdrop of expectations in the Congress that he will be able to script a turnaround, putting an end to the gloom the economic downturn has cast over its electoral prospects. The timing of the change was influenced by the keenness of PM Manmohan Singh, who had handled the portfolio after Pranab Mukherjee resigned on June 26, to have a full-scale finance minister ahead of the monsoon session. Corporate affairs minister Veerappa Moily has been given the additional charge of power ministry, a responsibility that Shinde handled. The reluctance to have a full-time power minister stood out on a day when over half the country plunged into darkness following the worst-ever blackout, and was being seen as an indication that a larger restructuring of the government is likely after the monsoon session ends in September to coincide with changes in the Congress.
Shinde’s appointment has clearly been influenced by the Congress’s anxiety to keep the politically sensitive ministry with a loyalist.
Chidambaram’s appointment comes against the backdrop of expectations in the Congress that he will be able to script a turnaround, putting an end to the gloom the economic downturn has cast over its electoral prospects. The timing of the change was influenced by the keenness of PM Manmohan Singh, who had handled the portfolio after Pranab Mukherjee resigned on June 26, to have a full-scale finance minister ahead of the monsoon session. Corporate affairs minister Veerappa Moily has been given the additional charge of power ministry, a responsibility that Shinde handled. The reluctance to have a full-time power minister stood out on a day when over half the country plunged into darkness following the worst-ever blackout, and was being seen as an indication that a larger restructuring of the government is likely after the monsoon session ends in September to coincide with changes in the Congress.
Shinde’s appointment has clearly been influenced by the Congress’s anxiety to keep the politically sensitive ministry with a loyalist.
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