New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
today exuded confidence of managing differences among some
allies over disinvestment policy of the UPA Government.
"I have managed all the coalition partners for the last
five years. I will handle the situation in the same manner, as
I have done it in the past," he told journalists at Women's
Press Corps when asked about opposition by a key UPA ally over
disinvestment.
The government has expressed its intent to dilute its
stake in public sector undertaking, but will retain the
majority control. In fact, NHPC has already been listed in
bourses, while Oil India is in the process of getting listed.
However, some allies like like Railway Minister and
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is reported to have
opposed the disinvestment policy at the full Planning
Commission's meeting.
Pranab said, "I have carried UPA government coalition
government with the backing of the Prime Minister and Sonia
Gandhi for the full five years. In the same way, I will be
able to manage it. After all, what is politics? Politics is to
manage the contradictions and bring convergence among the
divergence."
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, September 11, 2009, 22:07