PARTYVS GOVERNMENT COVER STORY Trouble at the Top The spiralling trust deficit between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi becomes a crisis in Government as well as party By Kumar Anshuman political Delhi. It took two unconvincing statements and Bhavna Vij-Aurora by Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi on May 12 and May 13 to deny the split at the top. n May 10, Manish After nine years in Government, the political am- bitions of Manmohan and Sonia are at clash point. Tewari, Union infor- The trust deficit is widening. With the Lok Sabha mation and broad- elections fast approaching, both sides are position- casting minister, was ing themselves—Manmohan for a dignified exit, if not a third term, and Sonia for a clean slate for son sounded out to make Rahul Gandhi, the recently anointed Congress vice- public a statement on president who is her designated heir. Both Othe Prime Minister’s behalf on the Manmohan and Rahul have, deliberately or other- wise, played an equal part in muddying the waters. resignations of Union ministers At the Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 5, during the Pawan Bansal and Ashwani Kumar. Padma awards ceremony, the Prime Minister told The statement, drafted by the Prime mediapersons that he was neither confirming nor ruling out another term, throwing his hat into the Minister’s Adviser TKA Nair, never ring for an unprecedented third term in office. Could reached Tewari. It was killed by it be that Manmohan, who was once described by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha as an overrated econo- Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s mist and underrated politician, saw an opportunity Political Secretary, Ahmed Patel. in the dithering of Rahul, who continues to show no Over the next few days, rumours of appetite for the highest office in the land? Manmohan’s path to a third prime ministerial the clash between 7 Race Course bid is littered with obstacles. Virtually every scam Road and 10 Janpath enveloped that has hit UPA over the last three years has found SONIA GANDHI (LEFT) AND MANMOHAN SINGH AP May 27, 2013 ◆ INDIA TODAY 19 NEW COVER STORY PARTYVS GOVERNMENT its way to the Prime Minister’s desk. In Manmohan needs to explain why he did Manmohan’s advisers fear that for managed to get Kumar inducted into There were strong arguments from and Bansal, the Congress was quick to the 2G scam, Manmohan has never fully not stop Suresh Kalmadi’s wrongdoings all his loyalty, the Gandhis may prefer to the Cabinet with the weighty law port- both sides. At 8 p.m., Patel arrived at 7 give credit to Sonia and Rahul, rather explained why he did not stop then tele- when his own Cabinet minister, Mani heap the blame of UPA’S failures on him folio. According to sources, Manmohan Race Course Road to deliver another than Manmohan, for taking action com minister A. Raja from perpetrating Shankar Aiyar, had forewarned him. to put themselves in the clear. The case was worried about the investigations blow to Manmohan. He had strong ob- against the tainted ministers. “The quite brazenly a scam of gigantic pro- Instead, he replaced the minister. The of P.V. Narasimha Rao, whose name and and the court cases in 2G, Coalgate and jections to the paragraph on Kumar in Congress president and Rahul Gandhi portions. That he has resisted giving an consequences are straightforward. The achievements have been wiped clean the ISRO case and wanted someone he the proposed statement and argued never tolerate corruption and that is explanation to the Joint Parliamentary man, who has always been known for from the party’s history books, is a could bank on to save him from culpa- that it was not the right message to why they took the resignations of the Committee has only buoyed suspicion. ending India’s economic stagnation and warning for Manmohan’s men. For bility. Kumar was handpicked by Man- send to the public. The Prime Minister two ministers,” Congress spokesperson In Coalgate, the Prime Minister was also for stopping the nation’s international Congress, the honest PM has become a mohan to steer him out of the cases is believed to have put his foot down Bhakta Charan Das said. the coal minister when the controver- nuclear isolation with the India-US nu- liability in electoral terms. But his man- where his name had come up. and refused to alter the statement. The Prime Minister’s assertiveness sial allocations, now under investiga- clear deal, may now become more fa- agers also know Sonia has limited alter- It was no surprise then that the Since the duo could not reach an agree- over the last few months has not gone tion by CBI, were made. Even on the mous for presiding over the most natives. She could replace Manmohan, Prime Minister was reluctant to let ei- ment, the statement was never issued. down well with the party. He knows Commonwealth Games scam in 2010, corrupt Government in Indian history. but any replacement other than Rahul ther man, both his loyalists, go despite Soon after the resignation of Kumar Congress needs him more than vice at this stage will make that person the the strong smell of scandal surround- presumptive 2014 prime ministerial ing them. Kumar had been in the line 1 GURSHARAN KAUR candidate. Manmohan and Sonia are of political fire after CBI told the 1 RAHUL GANDHI Manmohan’s wife is active as locked in an uncomfortable embrace. Supreme Court on April 26 that the The heir apparent, his reluc- an adviser. Has her own team, The tensions are bound to simmer even minister had vetted and modified a CBI tance to step in is the source including Planning Commission if the endgame unfolds months later. report on the coal scam. Bansal’s fate of most trouble. His pro- Deputy Chairman Montek Singh ought to have been sealed on May 3 longed apprenticeship has Ahluwalia’s wife Isher. LEGACYAGAINSTFUTURE when it was reported that CBI was in- allowed the Prime Minister to 2 MONTEK SINGH The clash between Manmohan’s place in vestigating his nephew for accepting a strengthen his position. AHLUWALIA Manmohan’s history and Rahul’s moment of reckoning bribe from a railway official in return 2 AHMED PATEL trusted man from the 1990s. The public statements on perfect har- for a plum post on the Railway Board. Sonia’s troubleshooter, the mony between Sonia and Manmohan Even on May 10, Manmohan had 3 TKA NAIR man who liaises between her are only a thin veil on a relationship that not given up. He was hoping to save at Working with Manmohan since and the Prime Minister. has soured in recent weeks. Sources least Kumar and issue a strong state- 2004, first as his principal sec- 3 in PMO claim the tension is palpable ment clarifying that neither man had DIGVIJAYA SINGH retary, and now as adviser.The when they meet. The most serious dif- been implicated. According to sources Enjoys support of both Sonia Prime Minister kept him on ference of opinion between the Prime in the PMO, the Prime Minister’s adviser, and Rahul.Vocal on issues despite Sonia thrusting Pulok Minister and the Congress president TKA Nair, prepared a statement to but he usually has licence. Chatterjee on him in 2011. arose over the fate of senior ministers somewhat soften the blow on the two Is used to float theories. 4 KAPIL SIBAL Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Bansal. ministers. The statement said that the Wants Rahul to replace Trusts him completely. Kumar, who was asked to resign as CBI inquiry on Bansal was still on and Manmohan. Manmohan always falls back on Union law minister, was Manmohan’s though “nothing illegal has been 4 JANARDAN DWIVEDI him in need, whether it is the personal choice for the job. proven against Mr Bansal, he has Is a no-changer. Important 2G case or Coalgate. Bansal, a long-time MP from Chan- stepped down for the sake of propriety member of the transition digarh, was elevated to the crucial rail- and a fair probe in the matter”. On 5 ASHWANI KUMAR team, tries to keep balance of ways portfolio in October 2012. The Kumar, the statement said that An integral part of his party and Government but of Prime Minister forced Sonia’s hand on “Ashwani Kumar resigned because of Chandigarh Club. He course with a Sonia bias. both Kumar and Bansal’s appointments perception and his resignation should owes his rise in Govern- during the Cabinet reshuffle of 2012. At not be seen as corruption. He has not 5 A.K. ANTONY ment to the Prime Minister. TEAM that time, Surface Transport Minister been indicted by the Supreme Court in Silent but Sonia’s trusted TEAM 6 PAWAN BANSAL C.P. Joshi was holding additional charge any way”. The statement was shared hand.The AgustaWestland scam has dented his image. He was Manmohan’s of railways following the resignation of with Principal Secretary in PMO, Pulok SONIA MANMOHAN choice for railways and Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Chatterjee, and was sent to Sonia’s 6 PULOK CHATTERJEE The Chandigarh Club beat Gandhi loyalist C.P. Mukul Roy in September. Joshi, a adviser Ahmed Patel. Sources claim He is Manmohan’s principal The Congress old is firmly behind the Joshi to become the first Gandhi family loyalist, was the choice of that there was nothing unusual in the secretary but reports guard still swears Prime Minister. Congress minister to hold both Sonia and Rahul for the railway statement being sent to Patel as cor- mostly to Sonia.