It is hard to see how many will be impressed with the changes brought about in the Union council of ministers on Wednesday. While there might be in this round of chopping and changing by the Prime Minister some immediate justification for a few changes, it is not quite clear if the new look gives the government an image makeover, or infuses agents of efficiency into the system. Removing M.S. Gill from the sports ministry was warranted after the fiasco that attended the preparations for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. There was no way Mr Gill could avoid constructive responsibility for letting extraordinary goings-on in the Suresh Kalmadi-led Games organising committee — from which multiple investigations have taken rise — continue unhindered. Mr Gill has lost his portfolio for being inept, not corrupt. It is not quite clear that he will bring spark to his new charge at statistics and programme implementation. Retaining him in government is, therefore, likely to be with an eye to an important constituency in Punjab, one which has generally tilted in favour of Congress Party’s opponents. In the same category as Mr Gill’s departure from sports is the divesting of the food portfolio from NCP supremo and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. Mr Pawar appears to have surrendered before the inflation in food prices, and is constantly seeking to remind us that prices are not his domain. Such a quixotic plea had not before been taken by any of his predecessors, for there happens to be a conspicuous link between the rise in prices and the supply of commodities. Other than the two cases of Mr Gill and Mr Pawar, which resound with justification, it is hard to say if changing the portfolios of other ministers has brought in incumbents that might be noticeably better than those they replace.
As Cabinet reshuffles go, the present round appears to be fairly comprehensive, although in the main the exercise is confined to Congress ministers. Only the NCP among the Congress allies has been affected and changes made in respect to it cannot be deemed controversial. Mr Pawar himself wanted to be rid of the food charge. Praful Patel, who has been elevated to Cabinet level and given charge of heavy industries and public enterprises, had also once hinted he had done what he could with civil aviation and was looking for fresh challenges. There have been suggestions that Wednesday’s changes are more likely interim in nature and a more thorough overhaul might be attempted after the Budget Session. This appears not to be the case, however. The rejigging of portfolios appears fairly extensive. On the whole, ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have done quite well for themselves, gaining either sensitive portfolios or moving up the ladder. Prospective Assembly elections are a part of the explanation. But merit has also played some part. Salman Khurshid and Sriprakash Agarwal justify elevation to Cabinet rank. The former is efficient and has sufficient experience in government. The latter has the knack of winning Lok Sabha elections in a state which has been tricky for the Congress for two decades. If anything, UP merits at least one more minister of Cabinet rank, given its extent and the diversity of zones it contains.
It is noteworthy that no fresh blood has been inducted this time round. This aspect needs to be righted. If there are fresh changes in the council of ministers after the Assembly elections in five states in May, that might be a good time to attend to this lacuna. The pressure from the Congress’ allies can increase or be contained, depending on how well they have performed in the May polls. By and large, however, it does appear that the significance of any changes that we might see in the summer would be reduced in the light of what we have just seen.