Joshi elevation clears turf for Maruti disinvestment

NEW DELHI: It''s one of those things — you fix one problem but find that, as a happy byproduct, you’ve fixed another. The appointment of Heavy Industries Minister Manohar Joshi as Speaker is one such instance.

While the government has found a full-time presiding officer for Lok Sabha, it has also finally got rid of a stumbling block to Maruti Udyog’s disinvestment.

Joshi, according to the disinvestment managers, didn’t speak out against MUL’s disinvestment, but he sat tight on the file. Even after the deal has been finalised, the final word hasn’t been out because of the minister’s impassiveness.

In fact, his attitude had forced the government to put off the meeting of the Cabinet committee on disinvestment (CCD) from this Friday to May 14.

But things have changed suddenly with the ''elevation'' of Joshi. It’s learnt that in the absence of a full time minister, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee will represent the heavy industries ministry at the May 14 CCD meeting. It’s a safe estimate that Vajpayee will ink the deal, making the meeting a smooth affair.

Virtually a “wild card� entry, Joshi’s sideways shift was facilitated by the reluctance of Petroleum Minister Ram Naik to relinquish his present charge, as well as the desire of Bal Thackeray to have another Sainik for a Cabinet berth which he hopes to get in exchange for the heavy industries ministry.

The papers for Joshi, who was brought in the play only last morning, were filed by Vajpayee himself and Home Minister L K Advani.

Defence Minister George Fernandes and TDP leader Yerran Naidu filed another set of papers favouring his candidature, opening the way for the first-ever saffronite to take over the Speaker’s post.

Joshi’s choice for the post has also underscored the growing clout of regional parties — this is the third time since 1998 when this coveted post has gone to a regional outfit. It is also the third time that the BJP has shunned its claim for the post on the ground of being the single largest party.

With Joshi quitting the Cabinet, the vacancies in the present Cabinet has gone up to two — the coal ministry has been without a Cabinet minister after Ram Vilas Paswan’s resignation. The vacancies will also enable the Shiv Sena to press for a “creamy� portfolio which it has been asking for a while now.

Joshi’s choice remains a mystery for many reasons, including the fact that BJP’s relations with the Sena have been far from smooth. In fact, sources disclosed today that the government managers had considered the possibility of offering the post to Nitish Kumar.

Kumar would have been more acceptable than a saffronite. But the idea was given up for the fear that a vacancy in Rail Bhawan would create a new set of complications by giving Mamata Banerjee an opportunity to reclaim the ministry.