Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday will undergo a “coronary artery bypass graft” at Delhi’s All- India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The surgery is likely to render Singh out of action for nearly two weeks, including one at the hospital. The surgery would be performed by a team of doctors from the AIIMS and the Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai.
Confusion prevailed in political circles through Friday, as Singh’s decision to allow the doctors to perform the heart surgery as early as Saturday came as a surprise, triggering speculations on who would “officiate” during his hospitalisation.
During Premier Singh’s stay at the hospital and the time he would need to recuperate, the decision making process will, according to “the standing orders” devolve on the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, to be chaired by the senior-most Minister.
Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee is the senior-most member of the CCPA.
Others on the key panel are HRD Minister Arjun Singh, Home Minister P Chidambram, Defence Minister AK Antony, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Transport Minister TR Baalu.
In accordance with the protocol Mukherjee, as the senior most Minister, routinely chairs Cabinet meetings during the Prime Minister’s absence from the national capital.
Mukherjee will also be responsible managing the Finance Ministry as the PM has held the portfolio since P Chidambaram was appointed Home Minister.
According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, the President, on the Prime Minister’s advice, has “assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Finance” to Mukherjee “from January 24, 2009 until the recovery of the Prime Minister from medical treatment.”
Though not accompanied by an official announcement, media reports say, an “alternate” arrangement has been put in place regarding the Prime Minister’s responsibility in the nuclear command authority.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi called on the PM, before the latter was admitted to the AIIMS on Friday afternoon. The two are reported to have discussed the implications of the absence necessitated by the medical condition.
Later in the day, MEA Pranab Mukhjerjee met both the PM and the Congress chief.
Following his meeting with Gandhi, Mukherjee said there was no need for “re-designation.”
He said: “These are theoretical questions. We do not know how long it would take or what would happen. This is normal, the government is there.”
President Pratibha Patil spoke to the Prime Minister on Friday night and wished him a speedy recovery.
Confusion prevailed in political circles through Friday, as Singh’s decision to allow the doctors to perform the heart surgery as early as Saturday came as a surprise, triggering speculations on who would “officiate” during his hospitalisation.
During Premier Singh’s stay at the hospital and the time he would need to recuperate, the decision making process will, according to “the standing orders” devolve on the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, to be chaired by the senior-most Minister.
Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee is the senior-most member of the CCPA.
Others on the key panel are HRD Minister Arjun Singh, Home Minister P Chidambram, Defence Minister AK Antony, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Transport Minister TR Baalu.
In accordance with the protocol Mukherjee, as the senior most Minister, routinely chairs Cabinet meetings during the Prime Minister’s absence from the national capital.
Mukherjee will also be responsible managing the Finance Ministry as the PM has held the portfolio since P Chidambaram was appointed Home Minister.
According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, the President, on the Prime Minister’s advice, has “assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Finance” to Mukherjee “from January 24, 2009 until the recovery of the Prime Minister from medical treatment.”
Though not accompanied by an official announcement, media reports say, an “alternate” arrangement has been put in place regarding the Prime Minister’s responsibility in the nuclear command authority.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi called on the PM, before the latter was admitted to the AIIMS on Friday afternoon. The two are reported to have discussed the implications of the absence necessitated by the medical condition.
Later in the day, MEA Pranab Mukhjerjee met both the PM and the Congress chief.
Following his meeting with Gandhi, Mukherjee said there was no need for “re-designation.”
He said: “These are theoretical questions. We do not know how long it would take or what would happen. This is normal, the government is there.”
President Pratibha Patil spoke to the Prime Minister on Friday night and wished him a speedy recovery.
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