Rao knew his limitations. His only asset was his loyalty to Indira Gandhi.With Rajiv, he had no great equations and was seen a marginalised leader leading HRD ministry. Rao wanted to some thing dramatic as dramatic as nationalisation of Banks, abolition of privy purses that his mentor Indira Gandhi did to get popular acceptance. He chose a path not travelled by any Congressman before, a path that Swatantra party of Rajaji was advocating long before - a  Laissez-faire business friendly administration.

Rao proclaimed that he wanted to go down in History as development PrimeMinister and wanted IG Patel, an ex RBI Governor to manage the economy. When Patel refused and suggested Manmohan Singh instead, Singh was drafted in to politics to cheer up the economy which was almsot indoldrums and World bank was mandating strict measures to revive the economy. The liberalisation pill was prescribed by world bank and not anyones brilliant idea but it conincided with the leadership at that time running bankrupt of ideas.

Rao contrary to what many believed was a schemer and strategist.He wanted to get himself freed from any sort of control from the family. He used VC Shukla another family acolyte of emergency days to ward off Sonia with theBofors card. The real point of contention was that Rao, Sonia felt did precious little  to get the killers ofRajiv punished.

Rao ran his administration with tacit support fromBJP with whose stalwarts he had a perfect equation. But things fell in place for Rao. He asserted his superiority in Tirupati session of AICC when his detractors Arjun singh, Antony scored more votes and got elected. He used RK Dhawan to cite inadquate representation for women and weaker sections and his offer to resign, and got all others also to resign  He then nominated all of them using his personal power as AICC president.

Because of the perceived antipathy of Sonia to Rao's emergence as a leader of his own , theparty distanced itself from the man and never ever claimed legacy to the original vikas purush of India. that was to later prove its undoing.

Again almost  a decade later in 2004, Congress was within sniffing distance of power. Sonia sewed a tactial alliance and set to storm to power, when her foreign origins were invoked to deny her the historic role. The logic was perplexing A person can be leader of opposition for successive terms but never a PrimeMinister. Such was the opposition even within the party when Pawar and Sangma ganged up and left theparty. This time Sonia renounced the offer graciously and made a significant and tactical error in selecting Dr Manmohan Singh as her chosen man. Sonia made this error in judgment because of hismistrust of Pranab Mukerjee the front runner in theparty.

Convention has it that Army Generals are picked from Infantry division, Airforce Marshalls from the fighter squadrons because of their experience in weathering storms.A political leader with sagacity was the need of the day to lead the government but apolitical man of unimpeachable integrity was chosen. If integrity is to be the sole criteria for running governments then Baba Amte, Anna Hazare will qualify for the job, Manmohan was an unmitigated disaster from the begining.He never won the confidence of his Ministers and relied on his bureacracy to tame his perceived opponents within the party. The reform story was fathered by Rao and Singh had only a limited role in it. He was chosen to implement the idea of Rao due to compulsions from World Bank andIMF.

The advantage that Dr.Singh had was that if economy fared it was due to his brillance. If it tanked, it is due to coaliation compulsions and interference from 10 Janpath. Dr.Singh liked this and enjoyed his 10 years in office due to munificence of Sonia who feared anyother nominee could get rid of her hold in party.

We are deviating from the main theme. My argument is that BJP victory today is unparralled and a culmination of efforts to marginise Congress party Mahatma Gandhi envisaged..It was for moderates. The party believed and practised inclusive development which  the young aspirational india saw a stumbling block to further their aspirations. Quotas, sub quotas, give aways however necesary to help those from marginalised sections, were abhorred by the young India. This mood was either not sensed or not proprely communicated toRahul, the Gandhi scion drafted to carry on the legacy of Gandhi.

Congress could have lost the election most decisively but they need to introspect. Modi and his men were predicting the decimation of the party whichmany like me did not believe a possibility.Now that it has become a reality, due to high decibel propaganda of media and Modi marketing team, Rahul needs to carry on this battle to another day another venue, Victory and defeats in politics are common, ideologies are to be held aloaft. the ideals of the party need to be cherished and the party needs to rejuvinate the leadership with capable men from all walks of life.The Old guard must retreat and leave way for younger leadership to take over and formulate policies that could once again endear them to voters without compromising on the pro poor image of the party. Rahul needs to think over It is now or never. The battle has not been won yet.