Sinha digs heels in to stay

Shourie likely to get Cabinet berth

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Aug 31: Three question marks preceded everything else on the gossip circuit on Friday. The first, whether an increasingly assertive Prime Minister would reshuffle his pack before the shradhs begin.

Second, whether he can convince an indisposed President, who has cancelled all official engagements for two weeks, out of his bed into the Ashoka Hall. Third, if he is ready to relieve an embattled Yashwant Sinha from the position of finance minister.

The first two questions were answered once invitations from the Rashtrapati Bhavan were being sent out at the end of office hours, seeking “the pleasure of so-and-so’s company” at “1830 hours” on “September 1”. The third, that on Mr Sinha, remained pure conjecture. The analysis depended on who you asked!

What’s clear is the elevation of disinvestment minister Arun Shourie to Cabinet rank. It is also clear that in all on Saturday evening there would be space for 9 actors. This includes those like Mr Shourie, whose role would be enhanced (and hence would have to be sworn again), and those who would be new faces to Mr Vajpayee’s council of ministers.

Another political master card — with an eye on minority votes — is elevation for the minister of state for coal Shahnawaz Hussain to cabinet rank. This had been “a missing link” in Mr Vajpayee’s jumbo council, ever since Mr Sikandar Bakht dropped out due to poor health.

An ailing mines minister Sundar Lal Patwa resigned on Friday, after a meeting with Mr Vajpayee. Considering that he has involved the President for “a swearing in”, Mr Vajpayee is not confining himself to a mere “reallocation of duties within his council”, nor “restricting himself to BJP ministers”. He is most likely aiming at a major revamp, including those within his squabbling coalition partners.

As for Mr Sinha, it is clear that he is in no mood to lend credence to speculation on his transfer from North Block, much less an ouster from the council of ministers.

To signal that it was indeed “business as usual”, the FM’s office faxed elaborate press statements late evening saying that the FM would be visiting Srinagar on September 1 and that he would be accompanied by the top brass of the State’s financial system: RBI deputy governor V Kamesan, LIC chairman GN Bajpai, Nabard chairman YC Nanda, IDBI CMD SK Kapoor, IFCI CMD PV Narasimhan, SBI chairman Janaki Ballabh, PNB CMD SS Kohli, Central Bank CMD Dalbir Singh, and Punjab & Sindh Bank CMD NS Gujral, among others.
“The FM will also deliver the convocation address at the Sher-e-Kashmir University on September 3,” the release added.