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In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, there was a huge controversy when <keyword id="1275069" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sanjay-Baru">Sanjay Baru</keyword>, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media advisor, released a book <keyword id="2193106" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Accidental-Prime-Minister">The Accidental Prime Minister</keyword>: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh. In this book, he alleged that the PM did not exercise full control over the government and was remote-controlled by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 
 However, this was not a one-off case in Indian politics. There have many instances of ‘<keyword id="2443943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Accidental-Chief-Ministers">accidental chief ministers</keyword>’ taking office in various states. The latest example is Bihar’s new <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6385519" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jitan-Ram-Manjhi">Jitan Ram Manjhi</keyword>. Following the dismal performance of his party, the Janata Dal (United), in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, <keyword id="6358190" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword> played the tried and tested caste card and anointed Manjhi – who belongs to the Musahar caste (the most backward caste among the Dalits) – as the state’s chief minister. Manjhi is not known for his administrative skills and is widely regarded as Nitish’s ‘puppet.’ BJP’s <keyword id="6364740" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sushil-Kumar-Modi">Sushil Kumar Modi</keyword>, Bihar’s former deputy chief minister, even dubbed Manjhi as "<keyword id="2443948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dummy-chief-minister">dummy chief minister</keyword>." 
 
 
 
In Bihar itself, on July 25, 1997, the then Chief Minister Lalu Yadav was forced to quit after an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the <keyword id="6362256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fodder-scam">fodder scam</keyword> case. In order to retain hold on power, he brazenly installed his wife <keyword id="6362315" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rabri-Devi">Rabri Devi</keyword>, who was not only a political novice but was also illiterate, as chief minister of Bihar. 
 

	Rabri Devi earned the dubious distinction of being the <keyword id="2443949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="first-illiterate-chief-minister">first illiterate chief minister</keyword> of a state. Interestingly, in the press conference following her swearing-in ceremony, Lalu asked reporters not to pose tricky questions to her as she was new to politics and a “seedhi-saadi aurat.” 
	 
	 
	 In the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, an independent MLA, was propped up as chief minister by Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, <keyword id="6362712" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jharkhand-Mukti-Morcha">Jharkhand Mukti Morcha</keyword> and the Congress. It was Lalu’s masterstroke to keep the BJP away from power. It was also for the first time that an independent MLA was made the chief minister of a state.<o:p></o:p>
He is known only for the large-scale corruption that marked his rule. Koda allegedly took huge bribes for illegally allotting iron ore and coal mining contracts as the chief minister of the state. According to estimates, Koda and his associates accumulated Rs 4,000 crore in the mining scam. He was also arrested and he is currently out on bail. 
 In Maharashtra, <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> was appointed the chief minister after Ashok Chavan had to step down from the chief minister's post after the allegations of his involvement in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Prithviraj Chavan, who is not a significant political figure, has still not been able to have a firm grip either on the party or the government. He had no experience of the state politics of Maharashtra and was directly paratrooped as the state’s chief minister. Although he has been in politics for almost three decades, he was never a member of the state legislature. 
 <keyword id="172066" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sadanand-Gowda">Sadanand Gowda</keyword>, who is the current railway minister, was the self-proclaimed ‘accidental chief minister' as he had himself once admitted that he was an accidental CM. He said he had never thought he would become chief minister one day. Gowda said his “politics of love” was the reason behind his accomplishment.

The Making And Unmaking Of Accidental Chief Ministers

The railways are set for a total overhaul after the <keyword id="6358021" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="budget">Budget</keyword> as the Narendra Modi government looks to revive the cash-strapped transporter. 
 
According to some media reports, the government is of the view that ‘business-as-usual’ is no longer feasible and there is an urgent need to overhaul the Railways in order to transform it as an engine of economic growth. 
 
As per a senior official, a bureaucratic reshuffle is imminent to bring efficient officials on board in finalising the revival plan. 
 
In the past, several panels had suggested streamlining the railways for its modernisation. But successive governments pursued populist policies and did not push for reforms. 
 The <keyword id="399053" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kakodkar-Committee">Kakodkar committee</keyword> on railway safety had found that the present organisational set-up on departmental lines is conservative and lacks dynamism. "Such a set-up also gives rise to inter-departmental rivalry, losing sight of the overall organisational goals, including safety," it said. 
 
It also said the present form of railway organisation is more centralised, top-heavy and hierarchical along departmental lines. But the panel’s recommendations were brushed under the carpet by the previous UPA government. 
 In his first top level meeting with the railway board members, general managers and divisional railway managers, Railway Minister <keyword id="172066" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sadanand-Gowda">Sadanand Gowda</keyword> had said, "Our government's mantra is perform or perish." 
 
The minister had also approached junior officials directly, bypassing the seniors. "You are at liberty to communicate directly on any issue which would bring good name to the railways and I will keep it confidential," he told them.

Railways
Set To Get Facelift After Budget

Finance Minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> will present the <keyword id="6358021" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="budget">Budget</keyword> for FY2014-15 on July 10 while Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda will present the Railway Budget on July 8, according to media reports. The Economic Survey is likely to be presented on July 9. 
 
The Budget session of the Parliament is scheduled to start on July 7 and end on August 14. 
 Just a few days ago, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> had warned that ‘bitter medicine’ must be administered to revive the Indian economy. 
The General Budget must be passed by July 31, when the interim budget expires.

Narendra Modi Govt To Present Its First General Budget On
July 10: Reports

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> allocated portfolios to his ministers, giving the Ministry of Finance and Defence to Arun Jaitley. <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> was allocated the Ministry of External Affairs while <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> got Home Ministry. Here is the list of ministers in Modi’s government: 
 
Cabinet Ministers 
Rajnath Singh — Home Ministry 
Sushma Swaraj — Ministry of External Affairs 
Ananth Kumar — Parliamentary Affairs and additional charge of chemicals and fertilisers 
Nitin Gadkari — Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry 
Sadanand Gowda — Ministry of Railways 
Venkaiah Naidu — Urban Development Ministry and Parliamentary Affairs 
Ravi Shankar Prasad — Telecom Ministry, Law and Justice Ministry 
Maneka Gandhi — Women and Child Development Ministry 
Najma Heptulla — Ministry of Minorities 
Smriti Irani - Human Resource Development Ministry 
Radha Mohan Singh — Agriculture Ministry 
Nirmala Sitharaman — Minister of State for Commerce 
Prakash Javadekar — Minister of State for Information &amp; Broadcasting 
Ram Vilas Paswan — Food and Civil Supplies Ministry 
Arun Jaitley — Finance Ministry and additional charge of the Defence Ministry 
Uma Bharati —Minister of Water Resources and Ganga 
Jual Oram —Minister of Tribal Affairs 
 
Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 
General VK Singh – Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs 
Inderjit Singh Rao – Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), Defence 
Santosh Gangwar – Textiles (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation 
Shripad Naik – Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) 
Dharmendra Pradhan – Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge) 
Sarbananda Sonowal – Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) 
Prakash Javadekar – Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge), Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs 
Piyush Goyal – Power (Independent Charge), Coal (Independent Charge), New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) 
Dr Jitendra Singh – Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Earth Sciences (Independent Charge), Prime Minister Office, Personnel, Public Grievances &amp; Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space 
Nirmala Sitharaman – Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge), Finance, Corporate Affairs 
 
Ministers of State 
GM Siddeshwara – Civil Aviation 
Manoj Sinha – Railways 
Nihalchand – Chemicals and Fertilisers 
Upendra Kushwaha - Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation 
Pon Radhakrishnan – Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 
Kiren Rijiju – Home Affairs 
Krishan Pal – Road Transport and Highways, Shipping 
Sanjeev Balyan – Agriculture, Food Processing Industries 
Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava – Tribal Affairs 
Raosaheb Danve – Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 
Vishnu Deo Sai – Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment 
Sudarshan Bhagat – Social Justice and Empowerment

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The Making And Unmaking Of Accidental Chief Ministers

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Modi Allocates Portfolios To Ministers

BI India Bureau

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