I Swear! - My dream Cabinet

The combination is out in the open. The next Government will have a strength of 274 in the Lower House with the RJD (4), SP (23), BSP(21) supporting from outside. Thankfully with the Cong at 206, the only allies that can extract their pound of flech would be the TC (19) and DMK (18). 

With the appointment letter firmly in Manmohan Singh's pocket, the next major step in the Government formation would be the appointment of the Council of Ministers and the swearing in ceremony. Hence this post, compiling my dream Union Cabinet. 

• Prime Minister: Dr. Manmohan Singh
• Home Minister: P Chidambaram
  
• Finance Minister: Dr. C Rangarajan (former RBI Governor)* 
• External Affairs Minister: Pranab Mukherjee
  
• Defence Minister:  AK Anthony
• Petroleum & Energy: Murli Deora
  
• IT & Telecom: Dayanidhi Maran
  
• Rural/ Panchayati Raj: Rahul Gandhi**
• Civil Aviation: Praful Patel
  
• Food & Agriculture: Sharad Pawar
• Law Minister: HR Bharadwaj
  
• Commerce & Industry (including Steel): Kamal Nath
  
• Minorities: Farooq Abdullah
• Urban Development: Shashi Tharoor
• Parliamentary Affairs: Priyaranjan Dasmunshi
• Power Ministry: Sushil Kumar Shinde
• Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises: Mani Shankar Aiyar
• Sports: MS Gill
• Tourism & Culture: Ambika Soni
• Human Resource: Kapil Sibal
  
• Railways: Trinamool Congress' Nominee
• Environment & Forests: Trinamool Congress' Nominee
  
• Science and Technology: DMK Nominee
• Shipping: DMK Nominee
  

The swearing-in ceremony is to be held in 2 days. Till then, its fingers crossed! 

* I'd prefer Dr. Rangarajan ahead of Montek Ahluwalia, who I think is cut out for the Planning Commission, which I deem is a larger role. 

**Somebody strong is essential to ensure justice done to rural development. Who else can be stronger in the Congress set-up? 

Post poll reality

On hindsight, my previous post about the AP post-poll scenario was needless. A few observations:

• Eight cabinet ministers of the incumbent government lost.
• Most filmstars and people from the film industry  including Chiranjeevi (who lost from one of the two constituencies he contested) lost. 
• Politics of polarization still work! 

The most obvious inferences from the result are: 

• The allegations of mass corruption and high-handed behavior of the ministers in the YSR cabinet are not baseless. 
• Schemes like the Aarogyasri, free electricity, Rs. 2 per Kg rice though populist work. Needless to say, the opposition manifesto and poll promises were more populist. The 'gullible' voter has perhaps learnt to decipher the difference between greed and need!
• Filmy glamour could possibly set the box-office on fire but certainly not the poll booths. 
• Politics of polarization is a game not just of the right wing BJP. YSR's hate speech against the Telangana cause in Nandyala was perhaps the baap of all polarizations witnessed in the history of AP. The result is visible. I rest my case. 
  

Agenda for the New Central Government

Though the battle was bitter, the result was decisive. The decisive mandate also gives the expectedly pro-reformist Government the enormous benefit of not having bitter alliance partners. 

The recession being a global phenomenon, the remedy is not going to be home made. Therefore apart from some short term stimulus, the major focus should be on ensuring long term sustainable growth. The past 5 years have seen some exceptional schemes like the RTI, Nuclear deal, National Rural Health Mission and NREGA. Now with the left on the wrong side of the Government and going by the PM's natural inclination, the banking and economic reforms would surely receive a kick-start. This would have been no different even if a BJP-led NDA had come to power. The BJP is a religious right wing and not a ecomonic right wing party. 

Where I think this Government should try make a difference would be in areas of Governance and Infrastructure development - traditionally the banes of most Congress governments. 

I deem a focus on the following parameters as essential for the success of this Government. On the governance front: 

• Police Reforms - To make the police department an effective deterrant to criminals 
• CBI reforms - To move the agency from the clutches of the Central Govt and make it truely independent. 

• Judicial Reforms - No more justice denied or justice delayed
• Administrative reforms - Make the bureacracy more accountable
• Strengthen Lok Ayukta and ACB 

With a conscientious PM at the help, this is perhaps the best time for these reforms to come about. On the infrastructure front: 

• Another round of power sector refroms - with a view on clean power. Achieve 'Power for all by 2012'
  
• Renewed focus on Highways and upgrading the road network; connecting all villages
• Keep up the momentum on freight corridors and speed trains 

Needless to say, the absence of the Left should not pre-empt reckless reforms. 'Conscience keeping' needs to be an important trait ingrained into all aspects of governance and development. 

The excitement of Election 2009

Like the last time, AP went to polls at the same time as the Centre. I was quite vocal about my support for the BJP+ at the centre and for the TDP+ at state. Enter Chiranjeevi,  I was more drawn towards the contest at the state level. Hence this blog. 

The results so far are very interestingly poised.Photo Finish is what the media has been calling it. Of the 294 seats: 

Congress leads in 140; TDP leads in 124; PRP leads in 16; TRS leads in 10; Left leads in 4 and others (including the Majlis): 10

So much of numbers don't make the picture any better, they only seem to make it more interesting. The options that exist for Government formation include:  

• Either the Cong+ (including the Majlis) or TDP+ (including the Left, TRS) attain a majority.
• Both the fronts fall short of an absolute majority and take support from PRP which is the only single sizeable chunk outside the two major fronts. In which case Chiru can demand more than his pound of flesh. The demands could range anywhere from making him the CM for a portion of the Assembly's tenure to a big portfolios in the cabinet. 

Any reasonable analysis of the post-poll scenario will have to focus on case 2, since the occurance of case 1 would dismiss the need for an analysis. Which way Chiru goes is essentially the crucial factor! Reasons that Chiru would factor in before making the choice are:

• The presence of ex-TDP stalwarts in the PRP may tend to repel it from any proximity to the TDP. 
  
• The traditional rivalry between the vote-bank of the PRP (Kapu community) and TDP (Kamma community). The fact that the Kapus and other BCs form a significant chunk of the population in the state might tempt Chiru to retain the vote bank and move away from the TDP+. Hurting this vote bank could mar his future prospects. 
• In a way, any vote that has not gone for the Cong+, can be interpreted as a vote against the incumbent Govt. Extrapolating this logic, the PRP cannot support the incumbent Govt. since it would against the people's will. 

What remains to be seen is whether Chiru goes on to retain the vote bank or if he goes with the people's will. 

Lessons in Optimization

Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo re

 

It is just so fascinating to see how much of a change has happened in SRK's stance vis-a-vis life and philosophy.

Pre IPL it was all about 'I am the best' and 'Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo' kindda attitude.

Mid way through the series the optimisim and go getter spirit has all transformed into pontificating about what one needs to learn from sport et al. He recently said, 'Sports teach us how to lose and not to be losers'.  

If someone as successful as him can actually be so humbled by a failure in a certain field which surely isn't his forte, I am humbled by how much more a humbling phenomenon life can be to lesser mortals. 

Intricate, delicately balanced and uniquely humbling, Life is BooOtYpHuL!!! Aint it??