Non-politician FM possible, says Digvijay

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said the Prime Minister will decide if the next finance minister would be someone from outside the political domain, such as Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Replying to a question on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate programme from Karan Thapar the Congress veteran said: “It is for the prime minister to decide.... The prime minister has every right to appoint anyone, even from outside” as finance minister.

The chair is expected to became vacant when Pranab Mukherjee resigns to run for President.

Reflecting his angst over ally Mamata Banerjee’s dramatic rejection of UPA’s Presidential nominees and her continued defiance, Singh said there is a “limit” to which one can “bend”, as certain eventualities have to be faced if they cannot be avoided. The AICC general secretary made it clear that the Congress was not asking Mamata Banerjee to leave the UPA. “All efforts have been made to console her, accept her views, accept her tantrums... Beyond a certain limit, the decision is hers... There is a limit to which you can bend to,” said the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister.

Singh also said it was “very embarrassing” for party President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Banerjee not only rejected the names of both UPA nominees for President but joined hands with the Samajwadi Party and announced three other names, including that of the Prime Minister, when they “did not have consent of any of the three”.

He said offering the Vice-Presidentship to NDA to get its support for the UPA’s Presidential candidate “looks unlikely”.

“It was extremely immature and embarrassing, not only for the Congress president but even to the Prime Minister... certainly it was embarrassing for us because an ally, after discussing with the UPA Chairperson, came out and said ‘we reject these two names’ and came out with three other names.... I am surprised they did this.” He said offering the Vice-Presidentship to NDA to get its support for the UPA’s Presidential candidate “looks unlikely”.

The AICC general secretary said the government handled the matter nicely and rejected the criticism that the whole issue was not properly handled asking, “who would have expected that Mamata will come out with names of those persons, who had not even conveyed their consent to contest.” To questions on why Banerjee resorted to such an action, Singh said that the Trinamool Congress chief “miscalculated”. “She has been erratic in some way...That is Mamata...Nothing is impossible, nothing is unexpected as far as Mamata is concerned” was his refrain to a volley of questions about Banerjee’s behaviour. He also felt that the Trinamool Congress chief continuing to back Kalam is a “mistake” which she should “avoid”. The Congress leader said the SP chief is a “pragamatic political person” when asked why Mulayam Singh Yadav chose to change his mind soon after and support Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature for the President’s post”.

Singh stoutly rejected suggestions of a “deal” between Congress and the Samajwadi Party like promise of some relief to Mulayam Singh Yadav in CBI cases or a financial package to Uttar Pradesh. “If we had agreed to a financial package out of turn for West Bengal, probably Mamataji would not have opposed Pranab Mukherjee,” he said. Singh added, “Mulayam is a very pragamatic political person and he saw the ground realities and then ofcourse when he saw the over-whelming support of UPA allies and from outside (to Mukherjee’s candidature), he agreed (to support Pranab).” Asked about the possibility of a second term for Ansari as Vice President Singh said, “it is not a bad idea. Ansari has conducted himself admirably as a Vice President”. Singh replied in negative when asked whether Congress could agree to a Vice President from NDA as a quid pro quo for the Opposition alliance’s support to Mukherjee’s candidature for President. “It looks unlikely because we already have the numbers,” he said. Regarding the challenge before the Congress to find a replacement to Mukherjee as Finance Minister and as the Leader of the Lok Sabha, Singh although admitted that there could be choppy days for a while as “we do not have many people of his stature and abilities”, he expressed confidence that the vacuum will be filled as UPA has “no dearth of talent”.