Who are UPA's 10 Most Powerful People?
Power lists are always a contentious
affair. Rating the country's finest sportspersons, richest businessmen or
blockbuster filmstars is relatively easy. But, as with beauty, measuring power
is a minefield of subjectivity. And when it comes to a power list of
politicians and bureaucrats, it can get really slippery. There are those who
love to flaunt the trappings even when they lack the real thing, and those who
control the levers while staying in the shadows.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
At 74, Pranab babu brings not just political wisdom but much-needed ballast to
the UPA government. He is trouble-shooter-in-chief, repository of institutional
memory, respected strategist, and for all practical purposes, the No. 2 man
after Manmohan. At the end of almost every Cabinet meeting, the PM turns to
Mukherjee for his views.
Home Minister P Chidambaram
Chidambaram was drafted into government by a Rajiv Gandhi eager to induct a new
crop of professionals to break the stranglehold of old
"power-brokers" on the party. Several assignments and a rich haul of
experience later, the 64-year-old minister has earned his spurs as a deft
trouble-shooter after his handling of the food-for-oil scam which splattered
Natwar Singh, then foreign minister, as an alleged beneficiary of Saddam
Hussain's largesse.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee
Impulsive, impossible - but to her legion of followers in West Bengal,
inspirational. That's 54-year-old Mamata Banerjee - one of the mavericks of
Indian politics, and remarkably enough, for all her whimsical ways, the future
leader of "intellectual" West Bengal. The dichotomy is resolved if
you see her for the person she is - upfront to the point of being in your face,
without lipstick or foundation or a trace of guile. What you see is what you
get, which makes the little firebrand endearing, never mind the warts.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh
Beyond ministries, Jairam has many uses - one of them is being a key associate
of Rahul Gandhi. Jairam is not just a policy wonk, he's an implementer who can
blend policy making with political compulsions. He was one of the key people
behind the winning aam admi Congress campaign of 2004. His inputs are sought
for the speeches of both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul.
Commerce
Minister Anand Sharma
When Anand Sharma was named a Cabinet minister in UPA-2 , jaws hit the floor.
Today, Sharma has a very serious assignment - to navigate India through the
choppy waters of WTO. What's the secret of the rise and rise of this
56-year-old Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh?
Political
Secretary To Congress President Ahmed Patel
He is the ultimate insider - unswervingly loyal and ever alert to the dangers
of the spotlight. He sleeps four hours a day - between 2 am and 6 am - and when
he does, he probably dreams of politics. He gives honest advice when it is
solicited and is nothing if not discreet. Knife-sharp, he is an astute judge of
people and situations, carries complicated messages and delivers them to the
right people with the right nuance. No wonder then, that the 60-year-old Ahmed
Patel is widely regarded as the most influential person in UPA-2 after Sonia
Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Defence Minister A K Antony
Everyone in the Congress knows Antonyji is important. But only Cabinet members
know how important. Ironically, for someone who gained national prominence by
defying Indira Gandhi in the Emergency, the 69-year-old minister is now known
to be terminally loyal to the High Command. He rarely speaks at Cabinet
meetings, but when he does - in his understated style - everyone listens. He is
his master's voice, and to defer is wise. So, when he sounds downbeat about a
proposal, people quickly lose enthusiasm for it.
Digvijay Singh, Congress General Secretary
Digvijay Singh is a quiet charmer. With his canny political sense, feel for the
grassroots, clear articulation - both in English and Hindi - and winning smile,
this former Rajput royal from the principality of Raghogarh in Madhya Pradesh's
Guna district, has clawed his way back from political ground zero. He seemed to
be down and out after the 2003 drubbing when the Congress, under his
leadership, was reduced to 37 seats in an assembly of 230 in MP, but has
re-emerged as one of the key political generals of UPA-2.
M K Narayanan, National Security
Advisor
T K A Nair, Principal Secretary to PM
Nair, 70, is not flamboyant like some big babus of the PMO have been in the past. But he's better than many of them when it comes to delivering results, often rolling up his sleeves and getting into the micro-management of things. When the PM is on an overseas tour, and every important sarkari functionary is out with him, Nair often stays home to hold the fort. He keeps a low profile, leaving the more outgoing NSA to deal with the press.
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