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Cabinet expansion: Five big takeaways

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Rahul Kanwal
Rahul KanwalNov 10, 2014 | 10:55

Cabinet expansion: Five big takeaways

Talent counts: Red carpet for technocrats

PM Narendra Modi has beefed up the talent pool in his Cabinet by bringing in technocrats like Suresh Prabhu despite Prabhu not being in the good books of Shiv Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray. Harvard educated Jayant Sinha has also been brought in despite his father Yashwant Sinha not being a favourite of the PM. Sinha is expected to be a global financial ambassador for Modi and will play an important role in convincing foreign investors to invest in the India story. Prabhu is a favourite of the PM, who deeply values Prabhu's skills as an effective administrator.

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Realpolitik takes centrestage

Modi's election campaign was about high rhetoric but today's Cabinet expansion was crafted in realpolitik. Modi tried to balance regional and caste considerations in the allocation of portfolios. States where the BJP is hoping to grow like West Bengal have been given space in the Cabinet. Jharkhand where elections have been announced has been given representation. The Bihar contingent has been beefed up ahead of crucial Assembly polls next year. RJD rebel Ram Kripal Yadav has been inducted with an aim to woo the sizeable Yadav voters of Bihar ahead of elections in the state. Prominent Jat leader from Haryana Chaudhary Birendra Singh has been inducted into the Cabinet to make up for a Punjabi being made CM of Haryana despite him being a recent entrant into the BJP.

Cutting allies to size

Modi has shown that he is not willing to be bullied around by allies and will not be pressured into a compromise. Modi wanted Suresh Prabhu in his Cabinet. He knew that Uddhav would not like this move and was prepared to induct Prabhu in the BJP quota. Akali Dal now has a lot to be worried about. The BJP leaders are already making aggressive statements in Punjab. Many in the BJP believe Akalis have become a political liability. Expect the BJP to drive an extremely tough bargain in Punjab, which could lead to a bitter breakup.

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Performance matters

Modi has shown he has a low threshold for incompetence and is impatient when it comes to expecting his teammates to deliver, which is why Sadanand Gowda has been shunted out of the railway ministry within five months of assuming office. By bringing in Suresh Prabhu into railways, Modi has shown the importance he lays on fixing this crucial infrastructure ministry.

Loyalty pays

By giving JP Nadda a full Cabinet berth and by inducting Giriraj Singh, Modi has shown how much he values personal loyalty. Singh has been in the eye of a storm because of his comments on Modi haters during the campaign and for the amount of cash that was recovered from his house recently. Despite the taint around Singh, he has been brought in because he was one of the earliest leaders who started the chorus of Modi-for-PM in Bihar long before the BJP and JDU had split. JP Nadda has been a close associate of Modi and Amit Shah for a long time and a key organisational hand in the BJP. Even though he is a relative political lightweight he has been handpicked for a heavyweight portfolio because of the effort he has made to push the Modi juggernaut.

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Last updated: November 10, 2014 | 10:55
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