P.V.Narasimha Rao is perhaps Independent India's most exemplary Prime Minister save for a minor abberration- the Babri Masjid Demoliton. It was astonishing to see a political failure from AP ( PV could not control the Telengana riots while in power which was later controlled by Dr Channa Reddy) leading the country from perilous perches to a new found self respect. When he ascended the seat of PM as a compromise candidate - suggested by Sonia Gandhi not many of us gave chances., Many of us thought him to be a lame duck PM since he had announced his retirement from active politics before the elections. The untimely and violent death of Rajiv brought this man of letters to the seat and he brought with him all the years of wisdom to streer a first Government led by an person outside Nehru clan for a full five year term with minority status in the preliminary years. Yashvant Sinha and Chandrasekar before him had pawned our gold reserves in order not to renege on repayment obligations to World Bank and IMF. What a masterly stroke of genius it was to hand pick Dr.Singh, an economist of repute to don the mantle of FM in the hour of an economic crisis. While Dr.Singh was credited with the process of reform, many people forgot that it was Rao who gave him the convass. Rao remarked that he would like to go down in history as a development PM. Yes indeed He did the anti thesis of what all Nehruvian pupils earlier believed. He freed industry from the shakles of official machinery. Delicenced at one stroke many major Industries. At the height of Ram Mandir issue he spoke to sadhus and the sadhus listened to his sage advice. It is another matter of conjecture as to why he chose to be inactive when Sangh Parivar elements were dismantling and crushing Babri masjid. Many thought including me that it was his way of paying back the debt he owed to BJP who were infact very co operative to his minority Government. even Advani acknowledged him to be the best PM in india's history.

Dr.Singh was also handpicked by Sonia for his skills and non controversial and apolitical attidude. Why then he has not been sucessful as his mentor was? While Rao asserted himself both in Government and Party very quickly( remember he got hold of all elected members to CWC to resign when he thought the wind was blowing against his wishes and then renominated them all to CWC to show who the boss is ) He utilised the Bofors card to ward of any threat from sonia in dislodging him at any point of time so effortlessly while simultaneously appearing to be sympathetic to the family when he sacked Madav Sinh Solanki for passing on certain written request to Swedish authorities to soft pedal the investigation. But Dr., Singh a much more qualified man has been an unmitigable disaster as PM. If UPA and Congress persist with him, eligy need not be written for the party any more for it is already dead.