Rejigged power setup has Modi, Shah at core

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “performance-driven shake-up” had many takeaways, including the emergence of a well-established centralised power structure within the party and the government represented by him and Amit Shah.

The selection and reshuffle also had several messages for his ministers—not just for Smriti Irani who was shunted to lesser important Textiles, but also top guns like Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and new I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

The process, conducted with utmost secrecy and completely contrary to the ongoing speculations, symbolised the well-established centralised power structure represented by Modi and Shah. It was believed to be in consonance with the RSS, thus indicating a comfortable relationship between them and the BJP’s mentor.

Apparently, top ministers, including Jaitley, were left completely out of the loop. Proof is the fact is that those he is said to share uneasy relationship with—for instance SS Ahluwalia and Vijay Goel—were brought in.

In the shake-up, “performers” either retained their ministries or were given better or additional assignments (for instance Piyush Goyal and Ananth Kumar). Others have either been shunted out or given less important assignments.

While Smriti was seen as the “biggest loser”, changes the exercise brought in the life of two top ministers—Jaitley and Radhamohan Singh—were overshadowed in the “big story” of her “downfall” and Prakash Javadekar’s “rise”.

It goes without saying that the Finance Ministry is an important portfolio and needs a full-time minister rather than someone who was shuttling it with an important portfolio like I&B. But the exit of Jayant Sinha as his MoS and arrival of two new faces at the level of Minister of State — Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Arjun Ram Meghwal—is believed to be a message that the ministry needs better focus.