S Jaipal Reddy to be Next Finance Minister?
posted on Jun 20, 2012 @ 12:12PM
Will the Union Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy will be the next Finance Minister? The chances are more, say the knowledgeable sources at the Centre. With the present finance minister Pranab Mukherjee declared as UPA's presidential candidate, he has to resign as finanace minister as well as chairman congress manifesto committee and from the congress working committee. Now speculations are rife about who will be the next finance minister of India.
As per the sources, firstly Home Minister P Chidambaram's name was considered as substitute for Pranab Mukherjee, but his name is already imbrued in the 2-G scam. Even former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's name also been dropped as he is also facing allegations in the Adarsh Housing scam. Now the name of S Jaipal Reddy is doing rounds and has better chances than others say the sources. The only thing that goes against him is that he was earlier known as a staunch opponent of Congress. He had left the Congress party when differences cropped up between him and late Indira Gandhi. Then he joined the opposition Janata Party and vehemently criticised late Rajiv Gandhi in Bofors scam. Observers say that this may cause hindrance for Sonia Gandhi to propose him as next finance minister, but otherwise, Jaipal Reddy has no other obstacles in succeeding Pranab Mukherjee as the FM.