The alacrity displayed by the members of the Sheila Dikshit government to roll back power reform symbolises a conviction-less politics. The Delhi government was one of the few with a fairly good record of economic reform. Its success in delivering on civic infrastructure was recognised and rewarded by voters, who elected the Congress for a second term in 2003, when anti-incumbency had swallowed up its governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Yet today several of the Delhi chief minister’s colleagues have indicated that they are more willing to throw away the gains of an important power reform process.This lack of conviction in the dividends of reform that characterises Congress politics appears to be a consequence of opportunism combined with a hesitation to claim ownership of the reform process. Party functionaries, when confronted with criticism from their Left allies, prefer to cop out rather than to defend their position on contentious but crucial issues like disinvestment. The effects of this uncertainty on the part of the Congress is becoming increasingly evident in the functioning of its members within parliamentary committees. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, headed by Nilotpal Basu of the CPI(M), is a case in point. The committee has come out against the private sector being involved in the modernising of the Mumbai and New Delhi airports, even though the Central government had already begun the process of inviting private bidders to upgrade the two airports to international standards. It is a similar story with regard to the standing committee on pension reform, with Left dissent in full play.There is a simple point to be made here that the president of the Congress party needs to note. The party has situated itself on the pro-reform side of the fence. In its 2004 election manifesto, it promised to increase growth rate to 10 per cent and eliminate bureaucratic and administrative hurdles to investment. Its prime minister is internationally recognised for ushering in economic reforms to India. Why then this wobble?
