If the May 11 nuclear tests have seen any shifts in power structures, it is not so much India's place on the world stage as the BJP hopes. The real shift, more subtle and less noticed, has taken place in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) where Brajesh Mishra has emphatically entrenched himself as a key player in the ruling establishment.
Two months ago, when Mishra assumed charge as principal secretary to the prime minister there was little doubt that the PMO would function differently. But the general view was that he would not be the same power player as predecessors B G Deshmukh and Amar Nath Vohra.
For one, Mishra was never an economic administrator. He was from the Indian Foreign Service whereas Deshmukh and Vohra had held key positions in economic ministries. As a result, his predecessors were active in formulating economic policy. Mishra, it was thought, would be less involved in this, which would enhance the powers of bureaucrats in North Block.
Equally important, Mishra retired from government service over 11 years ago. Many of the present secretaries were relatively junior officers then. So where Deshmukh or Varma had good equations with key secretaries, who were mostly contemporaries, Mishra, it was felt, would not be able to work the system as effectively.
These were valid points. But today, Mishra seems to have overcome these handicaps and has emerged as the most important force in the PMO. True, he was partially eclipsed by Pramod Mahajan, who was appointed the prime minister's political advisor. But Mishra is emerging from Mahajan's shadow. It is obvious now that the government wants Mishra to be its external front. Not without reason has Mahajan been told to stay out of the daily media briefings he has been conducting with much fanfare. In contrast, Mishra held two media briefings in the last fortnight, both of which the prime minister used to send important signals to the world.
Ironically, what appeared to be Mishra's weakness has turned out to be his major strength. Mishra is an active member of the BJP. This gives him a clout within the ruling party that neither Deshmukh or Varma enjoyed. Mishra has used this influence astutely and countered Mahajan's influence effectively. Add to this his sharp, agile mind and vast experience of handling tricky diplomatic situations.
Being all too aware of his relative inexperience in economic policy making, Mishra has shrewdly asserted himself in an area that is his forte. The nuclear tests provided a ready-made opportunity. He lost no time in seeing that economic policy formulation has now been subordinated to the international impact of the nuclear tests. Finance ministry mandarins are spending hours in the PMO consulting with Mishra on how to contain any adverse economic impact of the tests. In the process, Mishra's involvement in the 1998-99 budget has increased.
Mishra has also changed the way the PMO functions. He has reduced his involvement in routine decisions -- for instance, in preparing the prime minister's speeches.These tasks have now been taken over by new recruits like Sudheendra Kulkarni. So IAS-cadre officers who were involved in such exercises are now free to focus on policy-related issues. And by disengaging himself from the nitty-gritty of the PMO, Mishra has emerged as an important force in government.
