Chidambaram may head eGoM on 2G
New Delhi: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is considering nominating home minister P. Chidambaram to head the empowered group of ministers (eGoM) to finalize procedures for the auction of second-generation (2G) telecom spectrum, two persons familiar with the development said.
If indeed it does, the move will be politically significant given that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition has already targeted Chidambaram over alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum and licences in 2008, when he was finance minister.
However, a senior cabinet minister, at a high-level Congress party meeting late on Friday, expressed reservations on Chidambaram's nomination, saying it would be counterproductive, said a person familiar with the development in the government.
Earlier this week, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar recused himself from the post of head of the eGoM, saying he did not want his name to be dragged into the case. Pawar was named to the post after Pranab Mukherjee, who headed the ministerial panel, resigned as finance minister to contest the 19 July presidential election.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has reconstituted the eGoM, the older version of which was dissolved after Pawar stepped down, with Chidambaram as the only new face. The eGoM is to decide on the reserve price of 2G spectrum, licensing and other matters related to the auction of the airwaves, the two officials cited above said on condition of anonymity. There has been no official notification of the reconstitution of the ministerial panel.
Other members of the eGoM are defence minister A.K. Antony, telecom minister Kapil Sibal, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni, law minister Salman Khurshid, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the two persons said.
Analysts say the proposal to nominate Chidambaram to head the eGoM indicates that the UPA, which has been weighed down by a series of corruption scandals and controversies including the 2G case, has become emboldened to take major political risks with less than two years to go for general elections.
"I would rather say this is an emboldened UPA and not as much an emboldened Congress... The UPA government is showing signs of being bold and showing that it has given up the diffidence that it had since the last three years," said Kumar Ketkar, a political analyst and chief editor of Divya Marathi, a Marathi-language daily.
The likelihood of Chidambaram being given a more active role in decision-making by being made the eGoM head is seen as a signal that the government intends to pursue its economic reform agenda, experts said.
Prime Minister Singh has taken charge of the finance ministry after Mukherjee quit and two prominent persons associated with the reform process—Ahluwalia and chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council C. Rangarajan—are getting actively involved in economic decision-making.
In an interview with the Hindustan Times published on Friday, Singh said the government will take initiatives to convince investors that India means business.
Ketkar said the decision to bring Chidambaram on board showed the importance of the politician, who moved from the finance to the home ministry after the attacks on Mumbai in November 2008.
"The question is always asked as to who is the number two in the government, now that Pranab Mukherjee has headed to Raisina Hill," said Ketkar. "He (Chidambaram) looks like the No. 2 in the government."
Chidambaram may head eGoM on 2G - Economy and Politics - livemint.com
