Budget or ballot ?

The polls are round the corner, if pointers from the Finance Ministry are any indication. This is not because the Budget preparation are to begin soon, but mainly due to the oft-repeated, casual remark of Mr Chidambaram -- who is not known for his slip of tongue -- whether he would be in the chair at the turn of the year !! Being a control freak, the Finance Minister does everything his way, be it setting the ball in motion for the Budget or anything less or more important. The bureaucrats, whoever they are, are in total awe of him; those who aren't have to pretend to be so; or else they are out .... .In any case, Mr Chidambaram has nothing to cheer about, because of the huge drop in the revenue collections. This is despite all the aggressive campaigning on TV and print media.. And the three crucial secretaries in the Finance Ministry -- of Expenditure, Revenue and Economic Affairs -- are pulling in different directions. Perhaps, this is what the astute Finance Minister wants.