Pranabbabu for Prime Minister!!!

 

Years ago when  Indira Gandhi was assassinated—Pranab Mukherjee made his first and possibly his last cardinal mistake. He  did not express his wish NOT to be the Prime Minister. For that he was sidelined in his party and sent to Coventry. He was so disillusioned he broke from the Congress to create a new party Rashtriya Samajbadi Congress, was soundly thrashed in the elections and had to eat humble pie before he was reinducted to the party and duly became a MP from a safe Rajya Sabha seat with motley support. He swore privately to himself that he would never again give anybody an opportunity ever again to humiliate him like this.

Blessed with shrewd intelligence and an unique gift of foresight in recognising and sidetracking his opponents—present and future possible---he picked his way surely and steadily through the minefield of Congress Politics to positions of power and influence. Never for once did he deviate from the expressions of loyalty to the Gandhi Family either in private or in public. He positioned himself as universally approachable troubleshooter—acceptable to all parties—allies or enemies.

He became a mediator of crises for the Congress Party and he pulled off several coups—talking to Karunanidhi, and Jayalalitha, allying with Mamata when he estimated that the forces of Paribartan were too much for the ostrich-like Left Front who hid their heads , sight and hearing in the sand and could not estimate what had hit them. His mediation with the Opposition to get Parliament functional again, his efforts to get the Lokpal Bill stalled, his handling of the Left parties and subsequent signing of the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement Bill and the signing of the pact with Nuclear Supplier’s Group without signing the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty were masterly examples of his intellect, powers of persuasion and knowledge.

He has held all the powerful positions in New Delhi---Deputy Director of the Planning Commision, Minister of External Affairs, Defence, Home and now Finance and Parliamentary Affairs  even substituting for the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he had to undergo Cardiac surgery.

His assessment of Political parties are simple and direct. When asked who were the greater danger—BJP or the Left parties—he replied ”The BJP of course. In 40 years they have formed the Central government. The Communists have been on the scene for almost a century and they have only formed the Government in 3 states only. The BJP is clearly is the bigger enemy by far…”

Though he has been accused in favouring Reliance Company against Bombay Dyeing thereby decimating the latter, favouring Taslima Nasreen’s banishment and mollycoddling the Left---none of these have really slurred him.His wish to be the President was left unfulfilled and he finally got rid of the most troublesome post of the Congress Party—the Pradesh Congress Chief of West Bengal after 16 years.

With the Supreme Court Judgment on the 2G scam, and  an Enquiry into Mr.Chidambaram’s involvement in it almost certain—and PM Manmohan Singh under great moral pressure—who can Sonia Gandhi and the Congress Party turn to? Pranabbabu—who else? In a  brilliant move of leaking the Finance Ministry notes to Chidambaram public—Pranabbabu has created a situation where is only competitor has been knocked out and  in which he has no need to demand Prime Ministership—he will be requested to be one.

This fact is now being universally accepted. Note that the Chief Of Army General V.K.Singh has already met him.He is in close touch with Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is acceptable to Sharad Pawar and Jayalalitha.He has no impending scandals to be afraid off. He is acceptable to the Business Community.

Mamata was recently critical of the PM Manmohan Singh saying that he had never met her during her fast for he feared the CPM and neither had he sanctioned any funds for Bengal till now.The writing is on the wall. Manmohan Singh will probably become the President of India. And Pranabbabu the Prime Minister.

The parochialism in me wants the first Bengali Prime Minister. The Logical and rational part in me says that there cannot be a better Prime Minister. But the fear in me apprehends that he may merely be keeping the seat warm for Rahul Gandhi. But then no one reads and understands politics like Pranabbabu—the man who has always been a nominated parliamentarian till his win in Jangipur two years ago. He does not have a mass base. He cannot win an adverse seat like Mamata Banerjee   BUT He remains the Great Survivor with the Prime Ministership as his aim…..

Is he hearing the clarion call now?