Flipside: Standard & Poor

India Today
September 7, 1998

FLIPSIDE
Standard & Poor

Dilip Bobb

Though the obituaries being written for the present government may be somewhat premature, thanks to Jayalalitha's whines and fancies, the number of claimants for occupancy of 7 Race Course Road is growing. Mainly because they are assured of entry through the back door rather than through legitimate means. How qualified are these applicants? Rather appropriately, the well-known agency of Standard and Poor was hired to provide ratings. Here is its assessment.

Sonia Gandhi: Is busy writing a few more episodes of Dynasty, which has to be translated from the Roman script. Also believes, along with the US State Department, that India is best run by foreigners. Currently taking tuition for the final exams from experts like Manmohan Singh, Natwar Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar. Has shown improvement in Hindi, but is still having problems with arithmetic and other difficult subjects (like Sharad Pawar). Moreover, Italians do not have a very good track record of running governments.

Mulayam Singh Yadav: The secular strategy has lost some of its sting. However, his ambition to grab the top job by fair means or foul has lost none of its bluster, as is evidenced by his daily prediction that the BJP Government is going to collapse. Seems determined to move the capital from Delhi to Lucknow, but much will depend on whether the country is ready for another example of the tail wagging the dog.

Sharad Pawar: The perennial also-ran is also running again. Current strategy is to make statements which sound like a challenge, then claiming he was misunderstood. At this rate, must be the most misunderstood man in the country. Still has to prove that his bid is not another straw in the wind, else it could wind up being another case of Sonia and yet so far.

Manmohan Singh: Has led a charmed political life, thanks to mentors like Narasimha Rao and successive Assam governments which have certified his residential status for electoral purposes. His knee-jerk criticism of his successors in the Finance Ministry, P. Chidambaram and Yashwant Sinha, has somewhat devalued his economic credentials, but as long as he has the backing of the World Bank, IMF and a certain Mrs Gandhi, seems the most likely to succeed.

Arundhati Roy: Her hard-hitting speeches are attracting a cult following, but has damaged her chances by her declaration that she will secede from the Union, though not the Union Jack.

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