Opinion Cong chorus behind Singh song
Would you have otherwise expected Singh and Sonia Gandhi to plan a rally together to justify FDI in retail?
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As the Congress readies for battle asking state units to identify issues and prepare chargesheets against BJP governments it is banking on Dr Manmohan Singh like never before. Alleged scams have battered its image,and the big social schemes have brought only limited returns in the slog overs of its regime,therefore,the Congress seeks one last blitz by the Prime Minister that it hopes might yet save the day.
Would you have otherwise expected Singh and Sonia Gandhi to plan a rally together to justify FDI in retail? Or the Congress Working Committee to endorse the increase in the price of diesel and cap on subsidised LPG cylinders without so much as expressing the customary concern about price rise and the aam admi?
It hasnt happened before.
Not in the early 1990s when Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao had to shield then Finance Minister Singh from the hordes of Congressmen up in arms against the Doctors prescription for the economy.
Not in 2008,when Singhs stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal led to a trust vote in Parliament,provoking an AICC general secretary to observe off the record that the Prime Minister was over-estimated as an economist and under-estimated as a politician.
Not even in 2009,when Singhs contribution to the UPAs return to power was evident from its electoral sweep in the metros and other urban areas.
The Congress has concluded that it must go to the people with a positive agenda. For the first time,the reforms team of Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram is in the forefront of the partys election strategy. Which also explains the oppositions concerted efforts to discredit the PM personally.
No wonder the FM is in a hurry. Investor sentiment is on the way to being restored,and capital markets are on an upward trajectory. The finance ministry has moved on a long-term plan identifying infrastructure projects worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore that have been pending for want of regulatory clearance. The aim is to infuse at least 75 per cent of it into the economy over the next one year,creating lakhs of jobs and,more importantly,good vibes about the UPAs intent. With FDI expected to ride on domestic investment,the Congress has reason to hope that good economics can be good politics in India too.
Deepak is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Delhi.,dk.singh@expressindia.com
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