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Swaraj's big mouth cost her a Cabinet berth

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

Sushma Swaraj has paid the price for shooting her mouth off. Her former ministry, information and broadcasting, is now with Pramod Mahajan. And communications, which was her additional charge after Buta Singh quit the Cabinet, is with Jagmohan.

Since Jagmohan represents New Delhi in Parliament, it is unlikely that Swaraj, who represents South Delhi, will get a Cabinet berth now, at least for some time.

Apparently, the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has taken a serious view of her statement on TV that bickering within the party caused its defeat in last month's assembly election.

"Any party dispute is an internal matter," a senior BJP office-bearer and member of Parliament told Rediff On The NeT. "But thanks to her, an internal matter is now known to the entire nation."

He said the party has taken exception to her statements, along with those made by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism Madan Lal Khurana and former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.

Khurana and Verma are at loggerheads, and their enmity is considered one of the prime reasons for the party's defeat. After becoming Delhi chief minister, Swaraj had moved closer to Verma, fuelling Khurana's ire.

"Swaraj's statements created more trouble within the party. We had told her to keep quiet," said the party official.

He did not see any link between Swaraj's resignation from the Delhi assembly today and the Cabinet expansion. By law, Swaraj had 20 days after the announcement of results (November 28) to quit her assembly seat or her place in Parliament.

"It was not her decision but the party's command to her that she quit the assembly," he said. "We have a thin majority in the Lok Sabha and every seat is important. Her absence from the Delhi assembly will hardly make a difference to our fortunes there, but it could make a big difference in the Lok Sabha," he explained.

The BJP has just 180 seats in the 544-member Lok Sabha. With its allies, its strength adds up to 279, a wafer-thin majority.

Whether Swaraj will be inducted into the Cabinet later remains to be seen. The official did not rule it out. "This expansion is only a temporary measure. There should be another one soon. After all, our allies have some demands and many regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Kerala, and West Bengal are hardly represented in the ministry."

But when that exercise will take place is unknown.

Today's expansion was almost undertaken to handle the pressure from a belligerent opposition in the current session of Parliament.

"All three persons nominated - Jaswant Singh, Mahajan and Jagmohan - are able, experienced and capable of handling any tricky situation. That is the need of the hour," the BJP official said.

Swaraj is also quick of tongue, but with the uncanny knack of putting her foot in the mouth. In March, after the coalition came to power, she had publicly criticised the fall in the rupee's value, saying the dollar ought not to be worth more than Rs 17 (it is Rs 43 now), causing consternation in the markets and corporate circles. Red-faced BJP leaders downplayed the remark, insisting it was her personal view!

Political observers believe it was her sharp tongue and quick wit that saw her pitch-forked into the Delhi chief minister's chair a mere 45 days before the election. The BJP was hoping her presence would help it pull off a miracle. It didn't.

Nevertheless, her omission from the Union Cabinet has come as a shock to Swaraj who cherished hopes of returning to the Centre. It is also seen as a message to party politicians and workers to behave.

"We have decided to take a firm stand and end this habit of airing party problems, which only creates controversies," the BJP official said.

Assembly Election '98

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