SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has been named one of the 25 ‘most powerful Indians.
Indian Express released the list of 100 `most powerful’ Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most powerful Indian followed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Sinha figures at the 24th position.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud is at fourth spot and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is at fifth place. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is at the sixth spot. BJP national president JP Nadda is at the seventh slot followed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani is at ninth place and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is at 10th place.
“It is not easy to run Jammu and Kashmir, especially after the abrogation of its special status in 2019. While it saw his predecessor being transferred in just a year after revocation of special status, Manoj Sinha has managed to cling on to power for almost three years now. Also, at the Centre, the belief is that the dynasty reigns of the Abdullahs and Muftis are passe and Jammu and Kashmir needs new faces. Sinha has been brought in to identify younger politicians, who can bridge the gap with seniors of the region as well as bring disparate sections of the society together,” Indian Express wrote about LG Sinha.
Highlighting his achievements, the paper said after a long gap, Sinha has managed to get the first Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Valley. A two-screen cinema multiplex and a big shopping mall, now in the works, are two big visible changes that he is pushing for despite the security challenges.
“In pushing forward the development agenda, the Lieutenant Governor has always acknowledged that the conflict has scarred both the communities, which adds to his credibility,” the paper wrote.
On what could be next, it said with the Assembly elections overdue, Sinha’s biggest challenge would be to ensure a conducive atmosphere for free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Express said Manoj Sinha is fond of quoting from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s poems, especially the epic Rashmirathi (1952).
