Short-tempered Pranab Mukherjee must now have started believing himself in the reckoning for India's race for next President. He is clearly an old world relic. Seen as a man who carries more weight than he can handle, Mukherjee has reasons to dream that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi gives him a retirement solution in Raisina Hill.
Since taking over as the Finance Minister, Mukherjee has taken India's economy down the hill in quick time. Economy is in shambles. People are price hit. Employment generation has frozen. Savings of middle class have gone. Necessities of the day are beyond the reach. Still, Mukherjee is the darling of many, who day-dream him as the next President.
New Delhi's disconnect with India is self-evident.
However, Politics does not oblige day-dreamers. Politics is about cold-blooded calculations.
Gandhi will weigh many a things than thinking of a retiring solution for Mukherjee only. The Congress led UPA is hurtling down. This may outweigh all other reasons.
Many believe that the UPA has already slipped into the self-dug grave. More people think that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led UPA-II is busy in digging much deeper grave for the Congress.
UPA-II's disconnect with the Congress is also quite apparent. Nine out of 10 Congressmen say that they would have to be out of power for quite a long time. It takes some time for people to forget the pain giver. When the world is talking of gloom, Gandhi could not be so insulated. She has to think of future. She has to plan for the prince (Rahul Gandhi).
Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had arrived unannounced. His mother had clearly not planned for him. Mukherjee had made his ambition clear, when he had stated that the senior most member in the Cabinet should succeed Late Indira Gandhi. However, there was Giani Zail Singh to keep the Family protected. Will Mukherjee be a Zail Singh if a situation like that of 1984 arises?
Most in the Congress and also in government want Manmohan Singh to retire. For the services that he has done to the nation, he has his claims for Raisina Hill. He has enjoyed unconditional support of the Gandhi family all these years. He will not be a person to betray the trust of the Family, if at all Rahul Gandhi needed a helping hand from the Raisina Hill.
The Congress leaders are of the view, that with Manmohan Singh in Raisina Hill they would have another two years to win back some of the support or attempt to climb out of the self-dug grave. Mukherjee could be the Prime Minister for two years. Even if the Congress is routed in 2014, Rahul Gandhi can concentrate on Mission 2019 with free hand. He will be about 49 years of age by then and would have gathered enough political experience. After sitting in Opposition for five years, the Congress would gain due strength as well.
As one Union minister said that Sonia Gandhi is in a quandary akin to Hamlet. "To be or not to be". The minister may be wrong also. She must have made her decision already.
However, the Congress, as Harish Khare had remarked once, is a status quoist party. The Family does not burn mid-night oil to satisfy the kite flying industry. So, there would not be a surprise if the Congress pulls out of its hat someone like Pratibha Devi Patil.
