Enough has been said about the Cabinet expansion under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime. While many in media circles, and Lutyens Delhi, have termed the mega reshuffle as full of surprises, rewards, and even punishment, The Quint's Editorial Director Sanjay Pugalia has termed it as one that bears a significant RSS imprint, and throws light on Modi's position in matters of governance and political priorities.
He tries to decode the changes here:
1. RSS veteran Prakash Javadekar's entry into the human resources development (HRD) ministry, and the removal of Smriti Irani, is reflective of the RSS' preference of a committed yet rational minister in the important ministry says Pugalia.
Smriti's aggressive stance on the Hyderabad University incident, and the appointment of university vice chancellors was not RSS pressure, but in fact Irani's overzealousness to gain more traction within the RSS parivar.
BJP insiders I spoke to say her move is also an illustration of Modi's leadership style. That Irani's departure is Modi way of admitting his error in handing her a portfolio as important as HRD.Sanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director, Quintillion Media
2. The ouster of Jayant Sinha, Yashwant Sinha's son from the finance ministry, and the appointment of Santosh Gangwar (a committed party worker) and Arjun Ram Meghwal (former bureaucrat) as ministers of state in the ministry signals a shift in Modi's priorities – from worrying less on investor sentiments, the Sensex equity index and super sensitive rating agencies – to social welfare schemes especially Modi's pet schemes – Jan Dhan Yojana, JAM trinity plan (Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile), Mudra Bank Loan Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana.
Maybe Modi wants the finance ministry to be identified more with village folk than with suits. Also Jayant Sinha's transfer is being seen as a demotion. But it may have been prompted more by the desire to include a Dalit leader in this crucial ministry, than by Sinha's actions. That explanation may seem puzzling but what's clear is that Sinha's ouster from finance is definitely not linked to his father and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha's negative commentary on the NDA government's performance. In fact, some in the BJP also explain Sinha's move by suggesting that it was important to have an efficient BJP leader handle the civil aviation ministry which currently is headed by a senior leader, Ashok Gajapati Raju, from alliance partner TDP. Sinha's arrival in the civil aviation ministry may help promote privatisation and infrastructure building. We will have to wait to understand the exact reasons.Sanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director, Quintillion Media
3. That Ravi Shankar Prasad's transfer from the telecom portfolio into the law and justice ministry is being seen as a way to shake things up in the judicial space.
Also, the supposed promotion of BJP-RSS veteran Ananth Kumar, from the chemicals and fertiliser ministry to the high-profile parliamentary affairs ministry as additional charge, and two other low key party workers is reflective of how dedicated workers with strong roots in the RSS have been rewarded.
Manoj Sinha and Anil Dave are two other examples of how low-key but dedicated workers with roots in the RSS are being rewarded. Telecom circles may be unfamiliar with Manoj Sinha but this politician from eastern UP has been given charge of a troubled sector. He knows Modi's priority – resolving the problem of frequent call drops and poor connectivitySanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director, Quintillion Media
4. BJP president Amit Shah has certainly been given the biggest promotion of all, and is only indicative of his growing clout, both inside and outside the party.
A shift in the balance of power has taken place within the BJP and the Sangh. The sole objective is to get a mega election campaign machine rolling ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections and leading up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the coming days, we will see these new ministers, carefully chosen based on criteria like caste, performance and organisational skills, fanning out across the country to try and ensure for the BJP both state and national victories.Sanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director, Quintillion Media
5. The real Modi actually is a man who leans left of centre, and his new cabinet composition sufficiently exhibits that.
If there are any doubts about who the real Modi is, it should now be clear that he is a politician that leans left of centre and is often disposed towards socialism and povertarianism. This is what the new cabinet composition effectively conveys. And this, according to BJP leaders, is what it takes to win an election.Sanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director, Quintillion Media
You can read the full piece on BloombergQuint.
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