Does privatisation make governments unpopular?
Temporarily perhaps, but speaking purely in political terms, whether leaders choose to pursue privatisation depends on how long they hope to remain in government. In the short run all change is difficult, and all change is vilified by parties in opposition. In the middle to longer run, it is often wise not to let economic problems get out of hand since government will always pay a high price for presiding over disaster. And today, Indian government budgets are stretched to the breaking point while PSEs continue to generate losses. Something needs to be done and swiftly.
