Sharda as Union Minister : A thought
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Free Thinker
There is a very strong rumor in the political circle that there will be a Ministry expansion cum reshuffling at the Centre in the near future. It is quite possible when the Prime Minister comes back from his foreign entourage on 18 June. Meanwhile the political pundits are speculating that this reshuffling may take place immediately after 21 June when the new Rajya Sabha Members are also duly made de jure Members by a Gazette notification of the Ministry of Law. Possibility of inducting a few new Rajya Sabha Members in the Union Council is also not ruled out.
Manipur’s Adhikari-mayum Sharda Devi (Rajya Sabha Member designate) may get an opportunity to become the first lady Minister in the Union Council of Ministers from Manipur – if she gets the real blessings from the right persons (only two). It may be recollected that BJP got full majority in the State Assembly during her time as the State Party President. The most unfortunate communal conflict that has shaken the State also took place during her tenure as President – so a vicarious liability existed. The Lok Sabha election debacle for BJP in the State was an inevitable aftermath of the strife.
Despite all these the BJP Central leadership picked her up for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur. Fortunately she got elected without a contest. That means she is still in vogue in the present State political paradigm; that no one contested against her. One seasoned political observer says that the requisite number of MLAs who are supposed to be proposers of the intended opposition candidate was not there – hence no contest.
Since Independence (1947) and subsequent merger (1949) Manipur never had a Cabinet Minister in the Union Council of Ministers, Government of India. So far Manipur has had four Ministers in the Union council of Ministers. But all of them were of MOS rank – Minister of State status. The disadvantageous position of being a Minister of State is that the incumbent will never be a part of the Cabinet meeting – the highest decision making body of the Nation. That means Manipur was never part of the apex decision making of the country.
Four Union Ministers from Manipur were Shri RK Jaichandra (1985-1988) as Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and later Petrochemicals during Rajiv Gandhi’s time; Prof Meijinlung Kamson (1995-1996) as Minister of State, Home Affairs , Rajiv Gandhi’s period; Shri Th Chaoba Singh (1999-2000 & 2000-2001) Minister of State for Culture and Youth Affairs & Sports and later as Minister of Food Processing (Agriculture) in Vajpayee era; Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (2021-2024) as Minister of State for Education & External Affairs, during Modi’s second tenure.
Since the inception of the Indian Republic only four women Ministers have so far been inducted from the North East in the Union Council of Ministers, Government of India – if I am wrong, I may be corrected using AI or Google Baba. All of them were given the Minister of State (MOS) rank. So far no woman has been given Cabinet status in the Union Government from this region. Four women Union Ministers from the North East were Smt Renuka Devi Borkataki from Assam (Morarji Desai’s time) – she was Minister of State for Education, Social Welfare and Culture; Smt Bijoya Chakravarty from Assam (Vajpayee’s time) – she was Minister of State for Water Resources; Smt. Agatha Sangma (Manmohan’s time)- Minister of State for Rural Development; and Smt Pratima Bhoumik (Modi’s time, 17th Lok Sabha ) – Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Many people may be awestruck if Sharda Devi is inducted as a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers. But some won’t be surprised if she is inducted in the Council. No one should under- estimate her political stature and acumen at the National level; she was the National Vice President of BJP (Mahila Morcha – Women’s wing) when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the first time in 2014. The then President of the women’s wing, now the Chairperson of National Commission for Women, once said that Sharda is a very sincere and dedicated worker. She has created such an image; and her friendly nature towards one and all – makes the difference. She hardly opened her mouth against her adversaries within the Party - there lies the acceptability secret. Perhaps the Central leadership has acknowledged her accommodative quality.
A fast track action is on the way as the State elections are round the corner. Some who indulge in realpolitik can anticipate that a few MPs from election bound States are going to be inducted as Union Ministers for obvious reasons - may be from Punjab, UK, UP, Goa, Manipur etc. Manipur will only gain if we have a Union Minister this time again - thinking in the State interest as well as personal. ‘Cabinet Minister’ – may be wishful thinking but there is no ban on thinking so far.
There is a very strong rumor in the political circle that there will be a Ministry expansion cum reshuffling at the Centre in the near future. It is quite possible when the Prime Minister comes back from his foreign entourage on 18 June. Meanwhile the political pundits are speculating that this reshuffling may take place immediately after 21 June when the new Rajya Sabha Members are also duly made de jure Members by a Gazette notification of the Ministry of Law. Possibility of inducting a few new Rajya Sabha Members in the Union Council is also not ruled out.
Manipur’s Adhikari-mayum Sharda Devi (Rajya Sabha Member designate) may get an opportunity to become the first lady Minister in the Union Council of Ministers from Manipur – if she gets the real blessings from the right persons (only two). It may be recollected that BJP got full majority in the State Assembly during her time as the State Party President. The most unfortunate communal conflict that has shaken the State also took place during her tenure as President – so a vicarious liability existed. The Lok Sabha election debacle for BJP in the State was an inevitable aftermath of the strife.
Despite all these the BJP Central leadership picked her up for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur. Fortunately she got elected without a contest. That means she is still in vogue in the present State political paradigm; that no one contested against her. One seasoned political observer says that the requisite number of MLAs who are supposed to be proposers of the intended opposition candidate was not there – hence no contest.
Since Independence (1947) and subsequent merger (1949) Manipur never had a Cabinet Minister in the Union Council of Ministers, Government of India. So far Manipur has had four Ministers in the Union council of Ministers. But all of them were of MOS rank – Minister of State status. The disadvantageous position of being a Minister of State is that the incumbent will never be a part of the Cabinet meeting – the highest decision making body of the Nation. That means Manipur was never part of the apex decision making of the country.
Four Union Ministers from Manipur were Shri RK Jaichandra (1985-1988) as Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and later Petrochemicals during Rajiv Gandhi’s time; Prof Meijinlung Kamson (1995-1996) as Minister of State, Home Affairs , Rajiv Gandhi’s period; Shri Th Chaoba Singh (1999-2000 & 2000-2001) Minister of State for Culture and Youth Affairs & Sports and later as Minister of Food Processing (Agriculture) in Vajpayee era; Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (2021-2024) as Minister of State for Education & External Affairs, during Modi’s second tenure.
Since the inception of the Indian Republic only four women Ministers have so far been inducted from the North East in the Union Council of Ministers, Government of India – if I am wrong, I may be corrected using AI or Google Baba. All of them were given the Minister of State (MOS) rank. So far no woman has been given Cabinet status in the Union Government from this region. Four women Union Ministers from the North East were Smt Renuka Devi Borkataki from Assam (Morarji Desai’s time) – she was Minister of State for Education, Social Welfare and Culture; Smt Bijoya Chakravarty from Assam (Vajpayee’s time) – she was Minister of State for Water Resources; Smt. Agatha Sangma (Manmohan’s time)- Minister of State for Rural Development; and Smt Pratima Bhoumik (Modi’s time, 17th Lok Sabha ) – Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Many people may be awestruck if Sharda Devi is inducted as a Minister in the Union Council of Ministers. But some won’t be surprised if she is inducted in the Council. No one should under- estimate her political stature and acumen at the National level; she was the National Vice President of BJP (Mahila Morcha – Women’s wing) when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the first time in 2014. The then President of the women’s wing, now the Chairperson of National Commission for Women, once said that Sharda is a very sincere and dedicated worker. She has created such an image; and her friendly nature towards one and all – makes the difference. She hardly opened her mouth against her adversaries within the Party - there lies the acceptability secret. Perhaps the Central leadership has acknowledged her accommodative quality.
A fast track action is on the way as the State elections are round the corner. Some who indulge in realpolitik can anticipate that a few MPs from election bound States are going to be inducted as Union Ministers for obvious reasons - may be from Punjab, UK, UP, Goa, Manipur etc. Manipur will only gain if we have a Union Minister this time again - thinking in the State interest as well as personal. ‘Cabinet Minister’ – may be wishful thinking but there is no ban on thinking so far.