I am not amazed by the expectations people have on Shashi Tharoor, who has been elected to the Indian Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala. Tharoor, who put an end to his long stint with the United Nations when he quit as Under Secretary in February 2007, shortly after he lost the election for Secretary General to Ban ki Moon.When the campaigns were in full swing and I happened to speak with field activists as well as of the ruling political party, the CPI(M), which was widely expected to face a setback in the elections. While the leaders admitted in private that they don’t expect a good turnaround this time, they said Shashi Tharoor’s candidature was a godsend as a “rank outsider” like him wouldn’t stand a chance in the state capital; more so, because as even members of the Congress party, on whose ticket Tharoor contested, were against his appointment for obvious reasons.
Now that Tharoor has won with a thumping majority of over 100,000 votes, it is only natural for his voters to expect him to be given due importance in the Cabinet. While many have suggested that he be made the Foreign Minister – given Tharoor’s hands-on experience in international affairs and administration, this is entirely valid – but I for one do not think such a highly political post would be given away to a new comer like Tharoor. There are reports that Pranab Mukherjee, who was the foreign minister in the previous cabinet, is not keen to serve a second term and that Kapil Sibal, science and technology minister in the previous government, is the front runner for the FM's post. There are other names also doing the rounds. But the point is, a full Cabinet berth for Tharoor is unlikely; he could end up becoming a minister of state for external affairs.
At the end of the day, no government has the guts to prefer technocrats to career politicians. Politics gains, the nation loses.
