POLITICAL COMMENT The Ringside View

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Mr. A.B. Vajpayee is no doubt the Prime Minister of India, but of clay feet. Notwithstanding his Ad-men's projection as 'able Prime Minister.'

For the second time he had to put off the much desired cabinet expansion. Though it was his prime-ministerial prerogative, he could not assert himself. Not because of any exterior elements, but because of pressures and counter-pressures of his own party-men and also of alliance partners.

To keep himself and his party in power, alliance partners have to be kept at good humour. And the sure way of doing this by providing them more and better accommodation in the cabinet. The allies, being conscious of the price for their support, have been demanding larger share of the cake, which other way round affects the prospect of providing more ministerial berths to his own party colleagues. So he is caught in a vicious circle.

His 'Ad-men' projected him as a victor after his party's recently held National Executive meet, which ran very often into acrimonious wordly battle between hawks and doves in the party. But the farcical end of his expansion cabinet drama once again exposed that his was of clay feet. None to blame for this except himself and his party bosses, who had decided to lead a government taking all and sundry in an alliance.

Will Mr. Vajpayee take a lesson that politics of appeasement by doling out ministerial berths as a limit.