Wee Bit to the Left

Are the winds of change blowing through New Delhi's corridors of power? Perhaps S K Patil has unwittingly let this happen.

The impact of the Patil-sponsored revolt of Bombay legislators against the Naik Ministry is regarded as very significant in New Delhi. The forcing of a firstclass ministerial crisis with the demand for a toughline approach to the rising tempo of mass discontent has come as a danger signal to the powers that be. Indira Gandhi's attitude towards Patil is understood to have considerably changed. Instead of the warm affability that the Railway Minister was so long claiming to enjoy in the Prime Minister's house, there are reports that she has developed a certain estrangement towards him. This may be due to the realisation that Patil's political reputation can hardly be an asset to a Prime Minister claiming to steer clear of an avowedly Right-wing line.