BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has never hidden his desire to head the country’s finance ministry in the Centre’s Narendra Modi government. Speculations over his possible appointment as the new FM gained momentum after Arun Jaitley, who held the portfolio during the first tenure of Modi as PM, announced that he was bowing out of active politics due to poor health. However, PM Modi decided to appoint Nirmala Sitharaman as Jaitley’s successor, leaving Swamy’s supporters dejected.
A few months later, Swamy appears to have found plenty of support to replace Sitharaman as India’s economy is slowing down considerably. Much to Swamy’s excitement, even his political rivals are demanding his appointment as the new finance minister. Rajya Sabha MP and known Congress leader, Abhishek Singhvi, tweeted recently, “A lot of people in my mentions talk about Subramaniam Swamy as an ideal BJP candidate for Finance. In fact a lot of BJP core supporters think so too. What stops BJP from listening to the people if they work as per where the heart of the people is?”
A lot of people in my mentions talk about Subramaniam Swamy as an ideal BJP candidate for Finance. In fact a lot of BJP core supporters think so too. What stops BJP from listening to the people if they work as per where the heart of the people is?
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) July 31, 2019
His subsequent tweet read, “Sources tell me about a rift in BJP. Current Finance Minister doesn’t have many fans within the party so expect a lot of mud slinging against her (much like the earlier Sushma Ji trolls). That Lobby believes someone else should be FM.”
Sources tell me about a rift in BJP. Current Finance Minister doesn’t have many fans within the party so expect a lot of mud slinging against her (much like the earlier Sushma Ji trolls). That Lobby believes someone else should be FM.
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) August 2, 2019
Sitharaman has been facing flak from experts and political adversaries after NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant on Friday officially confirmed the current slowdown in the Indian economy. Kant, however, said that this was due to a spate of a wave of reforms undertaken by the Modi-led government.
“One of the reasons for the slowdown is that it has had too much of reforms – GST [Goods and Services Tax], IBC [Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code], RERA [ Real Estate Regulatory Authority] – a huge set of reforms which we have undertaken and I think the next round of reforms must revolve around sectors like oil and gas, mining, coal,” Kant was quoted as saying.
Reacting to his statement, Swamy wrote on Twitter, “He (Kant) should have spoken up in support of my early warning in 2016-17,”
