Thursday’s mini-drama in which defence minister Rajnath Singh, through a formal notification, was first named to only two of eight Cabinet committees set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but was later brought into six more, through a second official announcement, can leave little doubt about the PM’s purpose to downgrade Mr Singh to the number three position in the Cabinet de facto.
As has been clear from the start, Union home minister and BJP president Amit Shah is the real number two, although de jure Mr Singh takes precedence over Mr Shah. As for membership of the Cabinet committees, Mr Shah figures in all eight.
It appears Mr Singh had to approach the RSS to have the balance restored in his favour somewhat so that his dignity is safeguarded. Some news reports suggested that he had even threatened to resign.
The first Modi government in 2014 had also begun inauspiciously for Mr Singh, who was then Union home minister. He had not been permitted by the PM to pick his own personal staff and there was a mini-standoff as he declared he would rather quit. Mr Modi then relented.
He probably didn’t wish to begin his second term with a squabble with a senior colleague who had earlier been BJP president, UP Chief Minister and a member of the Atal Behari Vajapyee Cabinet. But the PM is now a far more confident leader than in 2014.
Evidently, in the first instance, his purpose in excluding the defence minister from most Cabinet committees was to show that he regards Mr Singh as a state-level and caste leader primarily, not an all-India figure, unlike Mr Shah who campaigned vigorously throughout India in the Parliament elections.
