Column

The hottest topic of speculation these days is the terms of the deal within the deal. With Amar Singh in, who’s out? Well, in all probability, the first casualty will be UP governor TV Rajeswar. Not because of anything he’s done. In fact, he apparently played a significant behind-the-scenes role in paving the way for the Congress-SP alliance. He’s likely to be shifted because the SP wants a Muslim face in Lucknow’s Raj Bhavan as a sop to the community. It’s sad to see political parties persist with the politics of patronage, as if token gestures like a Muslim governor are what the community is angling for. Perhaps our leaders need to talk past the so-called community representatives and hook into the most aam of aam aadmis to discover what really makes him/her tick. The pendulum swings in the fortunes of political parties and individual MPs are an expression of the voters’ frustration over a system that doesn’t listen to their needs. But the message doesn’t seem to have percolated through yet.

Another casualty could be the shortlist of names for the next CBI chief. After meeting President Pratibha Patil last week with his party’s letter of support for the Manmohan Singh government, Amar Singh’s next stop was the PMO. He had an appointment with principal secretary TKA Nair. Amar Singh declined to comment but it is believed that he made a strong pitch for a CBI chief of his choice to succeed Vijay Shankar when he retires at the end of this month. It’s no secret that the CBI is a government’s most powerful tool and there’s always a scramble among those who prowl the corridors of power to grab key posts in the agency for their favourite police officers. The Chief Vigilance Commissioner has already initiated the process of choosing the new chief and a panel of four names was approved at a meeting last week. But it has not been sent to the cabinet committee on appointments yet, giving rise to speculation that it’s become the subject of hard negotiations between the government and its newest supporter. Meanwhile, there’s a simultaneous move to give Shankar an extension to avoid further controversy. When in doubt, opt for status quo.

The contours of the deal within the deal are bound to emerge in the following weeks. However much Amar Singh and the Congress may protest, political circles can’t believe that bitter foes can turn friends without a payoff on both sides. Corporate circles are apprehensive about the Amar Singh impact on government policy. Those who know what’s happening behind-the-scenes say that several business houses have already sent their representatives to meet their interlocutors in the Congress to check out the lay of the land in the new scenario. It looks like we’re in for interesting times.

TAILPIECE
Pranab Mukherjee is perhaps the most relieved man in the UPA today. He’s finally rid of the burden of stringing Prakash Karat along to keep the government afloat. Although it would seem that he was snubbed by the PM on the issue of sending the safeguards agreement to the IAEA for approval, actually, the nuclear deal is not his baby. It comes under the purview of the Department of Atomic Energy, which reports to the PM, not the minister for external affairs. Now that the Left-government negotiations on the deal are over, the baby is back with the PM. Mukherjee has no say in the matter. Interestingly, as reports circulated about a rift between the PM and his senior-most minister, Rahul Gandhi touched on the issue fleetingly in the Congress Working Committee meeting on Friday. He suggested that the party put up a united face to sell the nuclear deal to the nation.

Email: a_jerath@dnaindia.net