Pawar’s ICC presidentship is prime moment for the PM to reshuffle Cabinet

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has got a golden opportunity to reshuffle his Cabinet without his taking an initiative.

In the Cabinet system of government, it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to select his Cabinet colleagues. That is true, of course, in a general way. But in a coalition set-up, many considerations creep in with regard to Cabinet formation and consequent tinkering with it.

And Dr Manmohan Singh has been giving prompt ear to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in such matters. And it should be like that only, although political rivals may scoff at the idea.

Now Nationalist Congress leader Sharad Pawar himself has approached the Prime Minister to ease him of some of his Ministerial burdens, now that he has another onerous duty to perform as the president of the ICC. Already there have been allegations that Pawar may not be able to devote full attention to the duties enjoined on him as ICC chief as he is burdened with serious Cabinet responsibilities.
It is generally believed that the PM may go in for some sort of changes in the Cabinet, may be easing out some, making changes in the portfolios of a few and adding new ones to the bandwagon.

Issues like price rise, hike in prices of petroleum products and the like haranguing him, the PM has an opportunity to stem the rot.