First Rajnath, now Sushma: How PM Modi is sidelining his ministers

Since BJP announced him as their prime ministerial candidate, there was always speculation that if and when Narendra Modi formed a government at the Centre, power would be centralised. Since his ascension to the post of premier, Modi has demonstrated on a number of occasions that he is the one who calls the shots. The most recent example of this is detailed in this  report in The Outlook,  which notes that on his recent trip to Japan, the entire visit was all about and only about PM Modi. [caption id=“attachment_1703897” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Narendra Modi with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. AP[/caption] We saw him striking memorable poses when he was in Japan - he tried his hand at being a drummer and a wind instrumentalist. In a few photos we saw him with small children at a local school, even pulling at the ears of one; in others, he mingles with the crowd at a Kyoto Buddhist temple like any other tourist. And where was Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on this foreign trip? Nowhere to be seen, because she was made to cool her heels off in New Delhi. Those who remember the BRICS Summit in Brazil will know that this is no freak incident. Modi did not let Swaraj accompany him to Brazil either. This, according to the political pundits quoted by Outlook, could be the PM’s “personalised style of functioning.” Modi has made it quite clear, since he assumed power, that he and not his foreign minister, will be the chief spokesperson on foreign policy. This first manifested in the PM’s decision to call South Asian leaders for his inaugural ceremony in New Delhi. It could however also be argued that Modi wanted to take special interest in foreign policy and hence wanted to be the chief articulator. Although, in the current context it could mean a lot more than just this. According to the Outlook report, the political rivalry between Modi and Swaraj has led to widespread speculation in diplomatic circles and the media on how long Swaraj can actually continue in her cabinet post. The relationship between the two has always been rocky. Although she never publicly did so, it is widely believed that Swaraj was among the few BJP leaders who actually opposed Narendra Modi as party’s PM candidate. She was more noticeably, also one of the last party leaders to acknowledge that the resounding victory in the parliamentary polls was mainly because of the pull of his image. But speculations were put at rest once Swaraj got the all important external affairs cabinet berth and became a part of the core group of the cabinet committee. Officials from ministry of external affairs dub Swaraj as a fast learner and say that she “competently engages with foreign dig­nitaries.” However, her camp followers still fear the unceremonial worst. Or a situation where she will be forced to resign. But under the prevailing situation, either Modi or Swaraj cannot afford to rock the boat. The report says: “Modi, because he is running short of competent people to fill up key cabinet posts, and Sushma because she is not sure what her political future will be if she provokes Modi and loses her post.” But Swaraj can rest a little easier in the knowledge that its not just her. There has been a great deal of speculation over  reports which suggested that Modi was directly deciding transfers and postings of senior officers, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh only signing the files once the PM had taken a decision. The Cabinet Committe on Appoointments (ACC) which is in charge of appointing senior bureaucrats, had earlier included the Home Minister, Prime Minister and the concerned minister in question, but now cuts individual ministers completely out of the equation. A few recent moves of the government have also shown that Modi well and truly intends to run things in the capital. For instance, his decision to scrap the Planning Commission had raised administrative and Constitutional questions. In his Independence Day speech on Friday, Modi announced plans to replace the Planning Commission with a new institution that will have “a new body, soul, thinking, direction and faith”. This new institution would be powered by creative thinking, public-private partnership, optimum utilisation of resources, and the utilisation of youth power, Modi had said, adding that it would empower the federal structure of India.