NARASIMHA RAO June 28, 1921

Narasimha Rao was the first accidental Prime Minister. He got the job only because Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, Sonia Gandhi turned down the succession and a coterie of Congress leaders backed Rao to keep Sharad Pawar from seizing the post. At that stage, Rao had retired from politics, packed up his house and was ready to go home to Andhra. Who better, thought senior Congress leaders, than a sick, old man who could never really assert himself? Within weeks of moving into Race Course Road, Rao surprised his backers. His health recovered dramatically, thanks to the tonic of power, and he went on to transform the Indian economy by abolishing the licence-permitquota raj and ushering in a new era of liberalisation that saw growth rates shoot up. He sidelined the coterie that had backed him, took charge of the Congress and went on to become an extraordinarily powerful Prime Minister.

He belongs on this list because of his role in unshackling the economy. But, of course, there are negatives. He was haunted by corruption scandals (buying MPs, accepting a suitcase full of cash from stockbroker Harshad Mehta, etc) and ended his days in ignominy, booted out by Sitaram Kesri, his chosen successor as Congress president, and battling corruption cases. But his legacy is haunted by one irony. As Prime Minister, he was criticised for failing to protect the Babri Masjid, the demolition of which caused the final break between the Congress and its traditional Muslim supporters. Now, the BJP and its leaders hail him for his pragmatism and foresight. In the long run, the demolition of the Masjid worked in favour of Rao’s legacy, at least among BJP supporters — even if India suffered as a consequence.