Sonia’s Choice
He did not come from nowhere. He has always been there, a quiet presence in the overwhelming shadow of 10 Janpath, waiting for his leader’s day. And when the time came for choosing an alternative, the leader, shining in sacrificial glory, opted for the one whose merits were as impeccable as his loyalty. Manmohan Singh was the man, the obvious one.
By choosing Manmohan and not a stereotypical Congress neta from the Gandhi durbar, party President Sonia Gandhi was sending out a message: It is national acceptability that matters at this moment, not seniority. Ideologically or by training, Manmohan was never a Congressman. Atechnocrat and academician, he was the great discovery of P.V. Narasimha Rao. In 1991 Rao made him the finance minister and Manmohan surprised the master as well as the country. A-left-of-centrist, he pushed for economic reforms at a pace that was never expected from this quiet but no-nonsense man who preferred backrooms to the limelight. He was his master’s voice, the perfect one.
Though the Rao government was rocked by many financial scandals, its finance minister came out unscathed. However, Manmohan was not a mass leader and he lost to BJP's V.K. Malhotra in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. What was unquestionable was his loyalty to the Gandhi parivar. He never aspired to be the leader. Ever the loyalist, Manmohan was not a threat to Sonia. According to sources close to 10 Janpath, he is perhaps the only Congress leader who has never felt insecure. While others were busy indulging in machinations, toppling games and lobbying for plum posts, all familiar Congress activities, he remained a man of no demands.
Politically, Manmohan is the classic example of the stateless politician. Though a Rajya Sabha MPfrom Assam, he hardly took up state issues at party forums or with the government. He is one Congress leader without a political constituency of his own, without vested interests. He is not burdened by geography or ideology, his world revolves around the Gandhis. INDIATODAY, MAY31,2004