Minister of disinvestment in the last NDA government , author and columnistis believed to have been asked to remain in Delhi while Narendra Modi is holding consultations to decide his Cabinet. In an exhaustive interview to ET , he refrains from commenting on the Cabinet formation or his role in it, but is forthcoming about his “personal views” on Modi’s style of governance, expectations from him, and whether the RSS would allow him enough space to function. Excerpts:The general expectation was around 245-270.I would not know. Mr Modi has a free hand. Chandra Shekhar (late prime minister) used to say two things – Jab log chapat lagate hain to who jhaanpad lagate hain (when people hit you, they slap you really hard), and secondly, those problems which politicians cannot solve, people solve them. That is what people have done for Mr Modi.Given him energy and a free hand. People exerted themselves to clear the path for him. So he has a free hand. He is believed to be consulting you… No! I would not like to say anything on this. He must be meeting thousands of people. Everything depends upon him.I have publicly expressed my views on this. Earlier, when the NDA was expected to get 245-270, it is no rocket science to infer that Parliament would not be allowed to function. Then how do you start the process of reforms.I said two things. The first was to make a list of things that can be done without a legislation. I asked a person for whom I have immense respect, Dr YV Reddy, whether reforms, like in the banking sector, could be brought about without legislation. He said 90% of things can be done without legislation.The second was to make a list of laws that can be devolved to states. Labour law reform, land, education – all these are concurrent subjects. In Article 254, first clause says that in the event of a repugnancy between a central provision and a state provision, the centre would prevail. The second clause of the Article says if the Union government permits it, the wording is ‘if the President permits, the state law will prevail.’Why not just announce it? Make a list of subjects and announce that in case of a conflict between Centre and the state, the state law will prevail in that subject. A law that enables us, equips India to compete with South East Asian countries like Singapore where labour laws are better than India’s.On any particular matter, 3-4 such states will take progressive measures. They will acquire courage to do it. The main point is that many things are stuck, it is not because of lack of laws. A person like Manmohan Singh will not do anything. He would set up a group of ministers. A person like Modi is not going to set-up GoMs but act.Occasions may arise where two-three ministries are involved. For example, coal allocation. Finance, law and mining ministries need to be involved.Everyone discusses and comes to a view and the decision is taken. The file goes back and everyone reports back within a fortnight. That’s how Modi functions. Those things will get done swiftly. Fast decision making. He is much for follow-ups. There is a timetable for tasks. The second thing he can do is making state CMs partners in governing India. For example, if you want rail corridor to proceed, it is not the people in Delhi who can help you but the five CMs along the way. So why not talk to them and make them partners.You want PDS to improve, health services to be delivered better, it cannot be done by the ministers sitting in Delhi but by the CMs. Make CMs partners – not just formally but optically. It should be visible. Take the CMs into confidence on most things. Have your officers brief them. Panditji (Nehru) used to do that. Why hold the meeting of National development Council in Delhi. Hold it in different states by rotation. Why do CMs have to troop to Delhi to meet the Planning Commission ? Why can’t the Commission go to them?I wrote an essay on it once calling it a ‘parking lot’. A body like it is needed for interface with states but it should be a small body which can come up with creative idea and suggestions – something like a think-tank or an advocacy group. The members need not be permanent or having fixed tenures.Experts can be brought in by the Commission depending upon the issue at hand. Much like film production, where various people like producer, director, musician, lyricist etc come together, make a movie and go their separate ways.The 100-day thing is not a good idea. Issues need to be identified. Like ease of doing business in India. Modi can begin it the day after tomorrow. To undertake reforms like land acquisition, land banks can be created, say of 25 plots and the interested industrial house can chose from among them. You will see a marked change in the way India is governed. If he begins swiftly, momentum will be created.The RSS would be satisfied with good governance. Modi will be able to persuade them to let him govern. The best thing would a clear division of labour.RSS should focus on conduct of the people in government and not policy, which should be left to government.The party will be managerially more efficient. It will work like a machine. Modi’s government and style of functioning will modernise the ideology of BJP. My advise has always been to leave contentious issues like Ram Mandir and Common Civil Code. Leave Modi alone to deliver good governance. Everything else will be taken care of.As different as Modi is different from Singh. He will function in a quasipresidential manner. India is anyway moving towards a system like that.Even in states, assemblies do not matter but CMs do. Election of a leader like Modi himself shows the system moving that way. Even his campaign was a presidential-style campaign. Modi will lead a strong PMO, coordinating with secretaries to government of India and states.Only Modi knows that. He keeps his cards close to his chest till the end. I don’t think he would have shared that with anyone. He will ascertain what is on mind of others first. He is known to take decisions at the last minute and there is an element of surprise in them.It is not really an issue. My view is that not many companies will come in even if you allow it. Your local kiranawala will always do brisk business. I keep pleading with foreign investors and investment advisors that they should not make FDI in retail and insurance as litmus tests. We need FDI in areas where technology is needed. More complex the technology, higher should be the cap. In defence manufacturing, for example, it could even be 100%. FDI also depends upon ease of business and reversing some of the policies of the last government.His views are not the same as mine. In Gujarat, he has managed to turn around industries like Gujarat Fertilizer and the Electricity Board. There will be constraints of resources. Other means will be required for revenue generation.For example by utilising surplus assets of PSUs like land and using cash surplus of some of them like Coal India to help them modernise. It was a travesty to take Rs 20,000 crore surplus of Coal India and use it elsewhere. Lateral solutions need to be found to generate revenue.In the next 5-10 years, the India political scene will be completely transformed. BJP victory has shown the importance of cadres and importance of state leaders. Congress too will be different.Earlier, national leaders used to rise from the states. Mrs (Indira) Gandhi killed that process, surrounding herself with weak men, henchmen and salivating men, who were greedy for power. Decimation of Congress is the nemesis of that style of politics and Manmohan Singh style of governance. Only way the Congress can revive is if CMs are allowed to rise.It was a very important movement. It showed the people’s desperation for change. However, AAP’s almost nihilistic ideology could not offer an alternative. Then Modi showed the people that he could deliver that change. It is a golden opportunity for Modi.The political landscape will be completely different in the next few years and Modi is quite the man to accelerate the transformation. He has the will and energy to do it.