Sonia's backdoor entry into Cabinet

Author: Akshaya Mukul
Publication: The Times of India
Date: June 3, 2004
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-718003,curpg-1.cms

The Manmohan Singh government has given Cabinet rank to Sonia Gandhi in her role as the head of the coordination committee which is to look after the implementation of the UPA's common minimum programme.
 
In her new role, Sonia will have an independent office and the security agencies are already looking for one.
 
According to sources, after the Cabinet adopted the CMP, it was rechristened the National Common Minimum Programme. "Now, the CMP is the government's programme and not merely of the UPA. Anyone who heads the committee would be working for the government and hence the status," said a senior official.
 
To monitor the implementation of CMP, Sonia would be heading - what is being called - the National Advisory Council which would have 20 members. These members, representatives of various parties of the UPA, would be nominated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
 
But the outfit would not remain a congregation of politicians alone. It would have a full-fledged secretariat with a gamut of officials to assist her. The senior official pointed out that a race has already begun within the bureaucracy to become part of Sonia's secretariat.

"Those who lost out in the race for the Prime Minister's Office are now canvassing for a place in this office," he said. Pulak Chatterjee, now in the PMO and earlier attached to Sonia when she was Leader of the Opposition, is the point man for setting up the new office.
 
A major hitch is locating a safe office for Gandhi. Considering that she is in the high-risk category and enjoys SPG security, many of the known government buildings have been ruled out. Choice may boil down to the Vigyan Bhavan for two reasons. One, its proximity to Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence and two, Vigyan Bhavan is among one the most secure buildings in the Capital's VIP zone.
 

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