Manmohan for PM

Namta Gupta Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s failing health has kicked-off an unprecedented round of speculation on his ability to withstand a second term if Congress comes back to power. Largely seen as an amicable, liberal leader rather than as a cunning or smart politician, Dr Singh has had his share of ups and downs in his career. The Opposition tried to undermine his stature by branding Sonia as “Super PM”, but the stratagems have failed to deter the equation and understanding the two have shared. The faith that Sonia instilled in Dr Singh has not only given him an upper hand in day to day affairs of his Cabinet but has also strengthened his position. Sonia-Singh: A perfect team The perfect demarcation of authority between Sonia and Dr Singh can be understood in the wake of the Indo-US nuclear deal. While the PMO went all out in pushing the deal at the IAEA and other international forums, Sonia backed him by selling the deal to other parties who were earlier reluctant to side with the deal fearing the loss of Muslim vote bank. But while Dr Singh succeeded at the international level Sonia too matched him by bringing erstwhile foes Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh under the UPA umbrella. The camaraderie and mutual respect between the two pillars of Congress is unmatched; even Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s comradeship fails to match up to it. The best part about this team is the perfect division of authority between the two. While Sonia has restricted her sphere of influence to party-related matters, Dr Singh has also refused to meddle with the politics of the party and restricted himself to affairs of the nation. And it certainly goes to his credit that during his tenure the opposition has not been able to levy any corruption charges against his government. How highly he is regarded in the Gandhi family can be judged from the fact that when HRD Minister Arjun Singh called for Rahul Gandhi’s anointment for the top job the biggest rebuke came not from a threatened PMO but the young scion himself, brandishing it as nothing but sycophancy! The trust the first family of India reposes in him is quiet evident from the fact that when Dr Singh decided to put his government at stake for the nuke deal, the initially reluctant Sonia became his most prominent defendant. Why Singh is indispensable for Gandhis? It is quite possible that Dr Singh, on account of his failing health, may think twice before taking up the job again but then a slight push from the party will put him back in the saddle. In fact, the Gandhis have been rock steady in their support of Singh; like when the demand for deputy PM grew shrill it was Sonia who stepped in and asked all detractors to shut up. The moment she refused to bow down under pressure the PMO’s authority was made evident. So elevation of either Pranab Mukherjee or AK Antony and their candidature can only be called figment of imagination. Sonia or even Dr Singh seem to have nothing like that in mind. But, what may have bewildered many mortals is why Gandhis trust this man more than any other? The answer perhaps lies in what the Gandhis; especially Sonia has gone through. After Indira Gandhi’s assassination her husband was left alone by some of their most trusted men. Narsimha Rao, Amitabh Bachchan, Arun Nehru, VP Singh and many others ran away in want of greener pastures, thinking that the dynasty rule was over. Narsimha Rao who ostensibly got the PM’s post after being blessed by Sonia tried to sideline her, restricting her to taking care of her children and some family trusts. But, then time changed and Congress smarting under its worst ever defeat at the hands of BJP in ’96 General Election came to her for damage control. Narsimha Rao, the man who tried to overshadow the Dynasty was himself going through tough times on account of various corruption charges that were levied against him. The then party president Sitaram Kesari though, tried to keep the reins of power in his hand and keep the family sidelined but it backfired and the party came to the brink of split in 1998 and that subsequently led to Sonia’s entry as the next Congress president. But her arrival did not help the party much in the Assembly elections of 98. Realising the importance of party cadre system Sonia worked towards making it more organised. And in the process, she became the numero uno commander of the party. In the process, she zeroed in on Singh who was neither a politician like Rao or Kesari nor he aspired to be one and the man seemed her best bet. At this point of time, Congress needs a leader at the centre while the party needs a politician. It goes to Singh-Sonia credit that they have distributed the power as per their expertise. It is not that Singh is completely naïve; he too has grown wise and witty and has taken opposition by its horn. Ten years ago, it would have been impossible to think of him making jibes at LK Advani. Now he tells him that there is no vacancy for the top post and that speaks volume about his growing strength and confidence. Yes, terrorism, financial turbulence etc, have affected the primary vote bank of the Congress – the middle class. And the first and foremost task that would be require the PM’s attention would be issues that could affect the party’s tally in the upcoming elections. So, he already has his task cut out.