HVK Archives: The PM and his men
The PM and his men - The Hindustan Times
K Srinivasan
()
April 12, 1998
Title: The PM and his men
Author: K Srinivasan
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: April 12, 1998
The breakfast table at the Vajpayee household doubles often as
the Prime Minister's executive table. And as he digs into his
well done toast and plate of Papaya he takes decisions that
Inevitably will make the front page of every newspaper the next
morning. Inevitably the two key aides who are around at this
early hour is Private Secretary Shakti Sinha and Political
Advisor Prarnod Mahajan.
For Sinha, an old Vajpayee hand who was with him when he was
leader of the opposition and who is related to the family, this
is the beginning of a long day. He really wouldn't know when he
will get home and his plate is overflowing with chores organising
appointment letters, accepting resignations, scheduling tire
Prime Minister's time, coordinating visitors and handling
everything and anything.
And sometimes It could even mean giving Pramod Mahajan his
appointment letter as the political advisor to the Prime
Minister. Well not exactly giving It to him but ensuring that the
wheels of the sarkar grind faster than usual to make sure that
the PM's key political coordinator got a formal letter gazetting
his appointment before the sun sets for the day.
Well actually what happened was that the PM told Pramod over that
formidable breakfast table discussion that he was appointing him
to the post. The previous evening he had consulted Home Minister
Lal Krishna Advani on the appointment and the two concurred on
the role their party General Secretary who had lost from Mumbai
north east would play in the new government. "There is no truth
In reports that the Home Ministry or the Cabinet Secretary
refused to notify the appointment. Who can say no the PM's
appointment," said one source In the PMO. In any case, the
appointment had Advaniji's blessings.
Confirming that this was indeed the true picture, another source
said: "Let us say that there Is a concurrent list as far as
Atalji and Advaniji are concerned. They seek each other's counsel
on these issues. There are matters in which the PM may just
Inform the HM, but on most Issues he most certainly consults
Advaniji before taking any decision. This has been their
relationship for many many years. They talk to each other almost
daily although they don't necessarily meet every day."
Could there be any particular reason for Vajpayee's close
interaction with Advaniji? "They are the party. They have grown-
up and built the party together. They have been together for
years and don't forget, Advaniji isn't just the Home Minister, he
is also the party president. Actually the PM is consulting the
party on most matters which isn't the case with other parties,'
articulated Pramod Mahajan. Perhaps what he left unsaid was the
fact that consulting Advani is also in a way consulting the
formal face of the RSS. A fact reaffirmed by another big gun in
the government who said: "L.K. Advani's pragmatism and politics
has a generous helping of the Sangh and it's an input that he
provides dispassionately to the Prime Minister.'
It was this clinical assessment that saw the axeing of Jaswant
Singh from the BJP ministerial list. Characteristically Advani
told Vajpayee that inducting someone who had just lost an
election was just not right. The Sangh, of course on its own too
got into the act and the consequences were actually disastrous
for the government: Jaswant Singh was out, but the RSS was seen
as the big brother whose shadow loomed large.
"The Jaswant episode has actually helped Vajpayee. The RSS
realised that it could be the biggest impediment to the BJP. It
also gave Vajpayee an opportunity to largely be his own man. "Of
course the Sangh cannot ever be ruled out. They will be back in
action when the bureaucratic appointments and the reshuffle take
place. But they will be cautious, circumspect and tolerant, at
least for the moment, about the hard realities of coalition
realpolitic," said one former BJP stalwart.
Nevertheless, it hasn't stopped the RSS from having party
ideologue K.C. Sudarshan meeting the Prime Minister regularly for
what one observer dubbed as "an exchange of views". But what do
they really discuss? "Frankly, apart from giving the RSS
perspective on events one could call this get together as some
sort of a moral policing. Nothing more, nothing less," said one
source who declined to be named. In real terms therefore, the
Sangh operates through Sudarshan and Advani. And Murli Manohar
Joshi, one time blue-eyed boy of the RSS Is out on a limbo. "He
doesn't enjoy the confidence of Advaniji or Atalji," said one
source. And the RSS hasn't complained so far. Maybe it suits
them to have him at education.
It Is perhaps this strategic withdrawal that helped the Prime
Minister appoint Jaswant Singh as the Deputy Chairman of the
Planning Commission - although there are one or two die hard
Swayamsevaks who believe that handling over the Commission to a
loser is preposterous - and grant him the right to sit in on
Cabinet meetings. Both Singh and Mahajan don't peruse files but
it probably won't be long before they start doing that. And It Is
more than probable that both will take the oath of office and
secrecy sooner rather than later. "If the RSS had its way this
wouldn't happen. They want to but they can't really impinge on
this government. Not yet, at least,' said one source.
What is it, though, that makes Jaswant Singh such an
indispensable part of the Vajpayee kitchen cabinet for whom he
was willing to take on the wrath of the RSS? "His friendship
with Singh is genuine. They admire each other," said one source.
But what else? He consults Jaswant on matters relating to Defence
and Finance and External Affairs," said one source. Another
source disagreed: 'I don't think he consults anyone on foreign
affairs excepting Brijesh Mishra. He has too deep an interest in
the subject himself."
But about Jaswant Singh's trouble shooting exercise to Chennai to
placate Madam Jayalalitha? Observers by and large view it as a
one off assignment. He must have wanted somebody who enjoyed his
confidence to handle the matter. Jaswant must have been around
and was given the job. But in real terms he isn't the PM's
political trouble shooter," said one old BJP hand. This source
elaborated on the kinship between Singh and Vajpayee and said:
"Atalji's English isn't in the same class as his Hindi. He has
always had a kink about this. Jaswant Singh was invaluable in
their long years in the Lok Sabha in terms of drafting, etc. He
is also terribly weak in matters economic. Jaswant has been an
asset in this area too. And as they exchanged notes, their
friendship grew."
In real terms the nuts and bolts political operation is in the
hands of Mahajan who is a fixture at the Prime Minister's house
at breakfast, lunch and dinner. "I am there for whatever job he
may assign me. I give him all the feedback that I collect and
take his Instructions. He Is the boss, we can all only help him,"
said Mahajan who wasn't willing to be anymore explicit on either
his role or his job.
His swift accession hasn't really smelt of roses for those who
view him as someone who cuts corners as he moved Into the fast
Inner track. He has often been accused of keeping the company of
big business, enjoying the good things of life and not being a
puritan In the classic RSS mould. Mahajan's answer to this Is
simple: "I have never ever done anything that will bring
dishonour or disrepute to either the party or myself." His
supporters are vociferous that apart from Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
who too doesn't exactly share any great bonhomie with the Sangh,
Pramod is the only one who really troubleshoots for the party.
"He was the one who set up the dialogue with the Telegu Desam and
Chandrababu and he Is running around constantly fulfilling chores
for the leadership. His success is naturally unacceptable to the
hardcore but does It really matter. Are we running a political
party or a seminary?" said one close associate of the key aide to
Vajpayee.
With Shekhawat bogged down In Rajasthan plus the fact that he is
in his mid-seventies and hardly fit to take on round-the-clock
trouble shooting, even his detractors agree that today Mahajan is
a key man In this government. Grudgingly they admit that he is
the PM's eyes and ears and "sometimes states positions that
Atalji may not himself want to. In that sense he is sometimes his
master's voice too." But Mahajan hasn't thrown caution to the
winds. If anything he is being doubly careful. He has declined to
attend office in the PMO. So far lest he be accused tomorrow of
perusing files and is waiting for the oath before he moves ahead.
But it is clear that he is hands on as far as Vajpayee is
concerned.
The only other BJP stalwart who discusses politics with the Prime
Minster is Venkiah Naidu. The party's General Secretary who was
recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka is described
by most observers as 'a man with Initiative". In other words he
doesn't wait for the leadership to tell him what to do. "If there
is an Issue that needs attention, Venkiah will take the
initiative and bring it to the PM's notice. This is deeply
appreciated and therefore he has unlimited access,' said one
source. More he has never been overtly ambitious. He is willing
to sail along gently taking one thing at a time.
Perhaps the only appointment on which there has been considerable
debate and dissents is that of Brijesh Mishra as the PM's
Principal Secretary. "Mishra retired over a decade ago. He will
be out of touch with present day bureaucrats. The PM should have
gone for a Younger civil servant,' said One official. Another
argument was that the number one officer in the PMO should be a
crusty ISA walla rather than someone from the IFS. There has been
a traditional rivalry between the two and it inevitably manifests
itself even when the person is someone as decent as Brijesh
Mishra," said one senior politician. Most people cite the example
of Bishen Tandon who was appointed to the Job during the 13-day
Vajpayee government and who many thought was too old then. But
Vajpayee apparently was clear whom he wanted and that was the end
of the matter. Brijesh meets the PM over different periods each
day. His role is viewed as 'bureaucratic rather than political" -
the nuts and bolts administrative trouble-shooter for the
government.
Most PMs have their own agenda which is really an amalgamation of
their own philosophy, their area of interest and their
committment. Rajiv Gandhi had the vision of a modern India, the
cleaning of the Ganga and the computer revolution. V.P. Singh
ushered Mandal. Chandrashekhar
didn't last long enough to leave any impact. Narasimha Rao
brought in liberalisation. Deve Gowda was a humble farmer from
Hassan who often spoke about the Plight of the agrarian sector.
I.K. Gujral is famous for his Gujral doctrine. What Is Atal
Behari Vajpayee's agenda? Apart from the coalition partner mish
mash of priorities put together as a national agenda.
It is still too early to say what exactly would be the style of
the PMO. They are still settling down. And when you have been in
the opposition as long as they have been it could take a little
longer. As time goes by, there will be promises and there will
be allegations.
Many of those who have been cut off from the centrestage like
Govindacharya and Joshi are bound to ask questions and others
would join in the chorus. 'There really is no set formulae in
these things. Being PM is like climbing Mount Everest without
oxygen. You can blackout any moment. You have got to take guard
after each ball.' Or should we say each step.
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