Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and has served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs since 2019 (this is as of March 2024). In the first Modi government, Sitharaman served as the Minister of Defence between 2017 and 2019, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi, and the first full-time female minister to hold each of those portfolios.
Sitharaman first joined the BJP in 2004 and was appointed party spokesperson six years later. She was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. While presenting her first budget, she made a statement by replacing the traditional budget briefcase with a ‘bahi-khata’ with the National Emblem to carry the speech and other documents.
Let’s hope all aspirations of India are fulfilled by Team Modi with vigour and vendetta. Jai Ho!
Modi has never been primus inter pares. Either as Modi I or Modi II or even as Chief Minister. He has been a different material altogether – fully and solely committed towards performance and only performance.
Politically and strategically he is the strongest Prime Minister the country has ever had. Nehruji and Indiraji too, though enjoyed the unquestionable mandate of the people, had to accommodate the heavy weights of the party. Modiji got rid of the heavy weights pre 2014 elections only. He didn’t have any tangible political compulsion in 2014 too.
Yes, the mandate 2019, is more crude and emphatic signifying unchallengeable Love of the people. The Love that only Nehruji and Indiraji commanded once. That’s why it looks rather awkward to see JNU’s place in the country’s most powerful five.
Modi II is fully aware of the dangers of the mandate – the top is too pointed and he should look standing firm and delivering a lot.
That’s why he is not losing any time. Right from his very first address at BJP head quarters to the recently held secretaries interactions his eagerness, rather restlessness to deliver is more than visible. And he is presumably going to be ruthless this time. His team will not tolerate any complacency, let alone inefficiency and corruption etc.
He has given an outstanding cabinet and some more efficient people are likely to be included in future too.
We will pray for the economy to grow to $ 5 trillion by 2025. That would validate the breathless excitement of this column.