A fine balance

Like other ministers involved in the state election campaigns, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, too, is busy shuttling between Delhi and his state – where, incidentally, his son is standing for his first elections – to balance ministerial duties and political compulsions. On Monday, his efforts reached a new level when he flew to Delhi on Monday night just for eight or nine hours to clear some urgent files before heading back to Bengal on Tuesday morning. He had initially considered having officers bring the files to him but changed his mind after his colleague Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the headlines for doing the same thing repeatedly and being accused of misusing public money.