AHMEDABAD: Congress veteran P Chidambaram on Tuesday regretted of not being a finance minister in a government with absolute majority.
Chidambaram made the comments while paying a visit to the poll-bound Gujarat.
Chidambaram served as the finance minister during the UPA-I and II regime from 2004 to 2008 and 2012 – 2014.
He also served as the Home Minister from 2008 – 2012 in the Manmohan Singh-led government.
Congress' ruled from 2004 – 2014 by stitching alliances with various regional political parties.
While the grand old party won 145 Lok Sabha seats in the 2004 General Elections, it bagged 206 in the 2009 polls.
Chidambaram’s main contribution to the Indian society materialised during in the budget of 2008; his daring move to waive off farmers’ debts lend a hand in furthering the cumulative demand in the Indian economy, resulting in the effective cloistering the country from the impact of recession.
Born on September 16, 1945 to PalaniappaChettiar and Lakshmi Achi, Chidambaram Palaniappan spent his early childhood in Kanadukathan village in the Sivaganga District of the state of Tamil Nadu. After studying at the Presidency College, Madras, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, Chidambaram went to the Law College of the University of Madras, Chennai. Finishing up with his studies in Chennai Chidambaram later went to Harvard Business School where he completed his Master’s in Business Administration.
Chidambaram's political career
1984 – 1999 : Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
1985 – 1989 : Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India
1986 – 1989 : Minister of State for Internal Security, Government of India
1991 – 1992 : Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce, Government of India
1995 – 1996 : Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce, Government of India
1996 – 1998 : Minister of Finance, Government of India
2004 – 2014 : Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
2004 – 2008 : Minister of Finance, Government of India
2008 – 2012 : Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India
2012 – 2014 : Minister of Finance, Government of India
