Sunil Mittal, India’s telecom czar, did not want A Raja to be the communications minister after UPA came back to power in 2009, according to phone conversation between Sunil Mittal and Mrs.Radia tapped by Income Tax authorities. He lobbied with Congress to ensure that Raja did not get the communications ministry. He wanted Dayanidhi Maran to be the communications minister.  However, when he failed he approached lobbyist Nira Radia to do the damage control, says a note prepared by the office of Directorate General of Income Tax.

“As per a conversation between, Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel had been lobbying to prevent Raja from becoming Telecom Minister essentially for two reasons, first (i) GSM lobby aggrieved at the favour shown to CDMA lobby on spectrum, (ii) Mr Mittal was lobbying for Dayanidhi Maran,” according to the note prepared by the Office of directorate General of Income Tax.

“Sunil Mittal later contacted Mrs Radia and wanted her to work for him on informal basis. Mrs Radia however said she would as long as there was no conflict of interest with TATA’s. However, she would help him mend fences (for a fee with Telecom minister Raja). There is a third person who apparently met Sunil Mittal at Suhail Seth’s house who is acting as a link between Mr Mittal and Mrs Radia,” says the note.

There was a lot of debate in the two houses of parliament on the basis of this note. However, the debate was limited to Raja’s link with Radia, a PR lobbyist who claimed to have influenced the policy.

The parliamentarians should also have debated how the industrialists influence Ministerial berths.