Click to play videoNew Delhi: CEOs-turned-politicians are still businessmen at heart.
Former BPL Mobile CEO Rajiv Chandrashekhar is an independent MP from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha.He is also the chairman-cum-CEO of Jupiter Capital.
But when asking Question 2228 (Is the government aware of the indifference and inefficiency of BSES, while attending public complaints of power failure?) or Question 1664 (Is the leakage of ADC revenues for ILD calls still continuing? Are some private companies being investigated by the CBI?), it becomes apparent that all questions are on telecom, power and infrastructure.
In what may appear to be a case of business before ethics, Chandrashekhar’s questions in the RS also highlight the strange co-incidence – that his new company is focusing on investment in these sectors.
But the Chairman of Jupiter Capital readily disclaims.
“I don't ask questions nor do I pursue any issue related to any one company. My issues are to do with the broader issues of institutions, transparency and consumer interests,” he explains.
Keeping Chandrashekhar company is Group MD of Videocon Industries and Shiv Sena MP from Maharashtra, Rajkumar Dhoot, whose business interests range from consumer durables, steel, SEZ and oil exploration.
The questions being debated (Question 1389, which asked if the government had taken a decision to sell 49 per cent shares of BALCO to Sterlite? Have CAG observations on pricing and valuation of 51% share sold earlier to Sterlite been looked into? And Question 2310, Has the steel industry demanded increase in customs duty?) are particularly interesting given that Sterlite is Videocon’s competitor in the steel business.
But Dhoot refuses to make the connection and says, “I did not ask such question.”
Jindal Power and Steel's Executive Vice chairman and MD Naveen Jindal is Congress MP in Lok Sabha. Jindal sought details of private participation in Railway projects. And though, incidentally, his company manufactures rail tracks, Jindal says his questions are in the nation’s interest.
“We need to promote railways in our country,” says Naveen Jindal.
Chairman of the Bajaj Group of companies, Rahul Bajaj, has insurance as one of its interests. It may not, thus, be a mere coincidence that he took part in the debate on the Actuaries Bill in 2006.
Interestingly, the only MP who has clean chit is the flamboyant Vijaya Mallya, who chose to play it safe by not asking any question at all.
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