Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to make only minor changes to his cabinet on Tuesday, counting on veteran finance and interior ministers to help battle policy paralysis and rampant corruption in Asia’s third-largest economy. Avoiding a major reshuffle of the Congress party-led coalition government is likely to disappoint investors and those in civil society who had hoped for an injection of fresh blood to tackle poor governance, high inflation and economic reforms.
Congress party sources said that the finance, interior, foreign and defence ministers were expected to stay put.
“This is really an indication of a government that has become indecisive and that doesn’t know what is in its best interest,” said M.J. Akbar, editor of news magazine India Today. “If there is a deadlock at the top then the deadlock can only be loosened by changes at the top…more of the same isn’t going to solve the problem.”
Halfway through his second term, Singh’s reformist image has been hit by multi-billion dollar corruption scandals, weak leadership, infighting and a sense of complacency by many politicians focused more on enjoying the fruits of power. Many had hoped Singh would use a cabinet revamp he announced earlier this year to try to regain the initiative. It is his second attempt this year after a reshuffle in January was criticised for only moving tainted ministers to new portfolios.
Singh is expected to tweak the line-up to accommodate coalition partners’ wishes and fill posts made vacant when the former telecoms minister was arrested and his party colleague, the textile minister resigned — both over graft allegations.