mangalore today

Time magazine projects Chidambaram as India’s next PM


Mangalore Today/CNN-IBN

New Delhi, April 3: America’s influential weekly magazine Time, in its latest edition, has projected Finance Minister P. Chidambaram as  India’s next Prime Minister.
With the article titled "The Troubleshooter", the magazine says Chidambaram has the ability to change millions of lives by pushing reforms.

With Gandhi scion Rahul showing reluctance in public to take up the job, describing the issue as "irrelevant, all smoke", the US newsmagazine  makes a case for Chidambaram to be considered for the prime minister’s job, if Rahul Gandhi declines the job because of inexperience.

 

Time-Chidambaram-PM


Eight months ago, Time had written off Dr Manmohan Singh, the present incumbent as an "underachiever".

Praising Chidambaram for his “business-first approach,” the article says, over the past few years, Chidambaram has gone where the action is.

It highlighted Chidamb­aram’s contributions in pushing economic reforms and also his initiatives towards handling of the Home Ministry in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying he has had a happier track record.

“During his first stint (1996-98), he presented what came to be called, for its robust reforms, including deep cuts in income and corporate taxes, the dream budget. During his second term (2004-08), India’s economy grew faster than at any point in its history,” the article noted.

The article also praised Chidambaram’s February 28 budget presentation, saying it helped maintain India’s credit-worthiness, which ratings agencies had threatened to downgrade. Many of the budget proposals had been in works but Chidambaram got them to the line. 

“His third tenure will be defined by whether or not he can get India back on that path. So far, he has managed to peel off a layer of gloom when nobody else could,” it added.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi had expressed his support for Chidambaram for the top job, to which the Finance Minister had replied: “I know my limitations. And I live and conduct myself according to my limitations."

Analysing the possibility of Chidambaram rising to the top post, the “Time” magazine’s article has noted that Rahul’s interest in the top job is uncertain and his “lack of political experience” could be a “liability” if the Congress finds itself heading another unstable coalition.

“The Economist,” a London-based newsmagazine, too, had projected Chidambaram as the  most suitable leader to take the office of the prime minister after 2014, particularly because his only challenger and “fiercest rival” Pranab Mukherjee had now taken over as President.