Ministers like Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Bansal had to be sacked for overstepping their brief. Ashwani Kumar tried to defend the PM by interfering into the functioning of the CBI. Even Supreme Court dubbed CBI as the ‘caged parrot' and the UPA govt was hugely embarrassed.
Pawan Bansal created huge embarrassment for both himself and the govt after CBI arrested his nephew for graft in lieu of whimsical transfer and posting. All evidence indicated the personal involvement of Pawan Bansal in these dubious deals.
The sacking of both Ashwani and Bansal amounted to loss of face for the Prime Minister as they were given these high profile portfolios despite being light weight members of the cabinet. According to some media reports, PM was initially not willing to seek resignation of these ministers but Sonia Gandhi, emboldened by the Karnataka victory, put her down and the PM had no other option than to sack them. But this incident reflected the chasm that today exists between 10, Janpath and 7, Race Course Road.
During UPA- I, left front was there to play the role of opposition from within. They used to put their foot down every now and then. Sometimes for good but most of the times just to make their presence felt and cater to their constituency back home in Bengal.
Manmohan Singh came into his elements when the UPA govt decided to get the parliamentary approval for Indo-US nuclear deal. Brushing aside the opposition of left front led by CPM, the UPA mustered the required number in Lok Sabha although the manipulation by UPA managers produced another scam , better known as ‘cash-for-vote' scam.
But it's not that UPA govt has nothing to claim credit for. As the UPA II hurtled from one crisis to another, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, which guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between 6 and 14 years, was passed within a few months of the alliance coming to power in 2009.
