Hiding a smile, Sonia feels sorry

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 29: The Chanakya of Indian politics was left stunned on Friday when special judge Ajit Bharihoke walked into the crow...

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 29: The Chanakya of Indian politics was left stunned on Friday when special judge Ajit Bharihoke walked into the crowded courtroom and mumbled that P.V.Narasimha Rao and Buta Singh were convicted in the JMM case and all the other accused given the benefit of doubt.

Rao, who has become the first Indian who has been Prime Minister to be convicted of a corruption charge, looked ahead thoughtfully in the midst of the commotion. Suspense had been building up in the courtroom before Bharihoke walked in 50 minutes late. Rao had sat in a corner sagely, dressed in a cream-coloured silk kurta, jacket and angavastram. All the other accused in the JMM case, including Satish Sharma, Buta Singh, Bhajan lal, Ajit Singh, Rajeshwar Rao and V. Moily sat behind.

Rao shook his head when asked if he wished to comment. The proceedings lasted for no more than 10 minutes, and after the judge left the small courtroom, Rao went into the lobby of Vigyan Bhavan Annexe where the hearings were held and sat down in a corner for a while before walking out of the building.

The judgement, which had been reserved since June 1, had generated a lot of interest because of its potential to alter the politics of the Congress party and even outside it.

The verdict must have brought smiles to a lot of other faces, including that of L.K.Advani, who had been accused in the havala case during Rao8217;s time, and of Sonia Gandhi. The two will be the biggest beneficiaries of today8217;s verdict.

However, Sonia called on Rao in the evening to express her solidarity. Her decision to go to 9, Motilal Nehru Marg followed a small meeting of party leaders soon after the news of the verdict trickled into the AICC headquarters. Most of those present at the informal meeting felt that since he had been a Congress Prime Minister for five years, and Congress President, and his decisions had been endorsed by the party, which had also benefitted from his acts of commission and omission, the party should express its distress and Sonia should call on him. With him down and out, she could afford to be magnanimous and then the visit of others who might call on him would not be considered dissidence8217;. Besides, as Prime Minister he was privy to a lot of things and could act as a spoiler.

To begin with, the Congress President directed the spokespersons to be guarded and say that the party was going to study the judgement before saying anything. Later, Sonia decided to go and meet Rao. Others who called on him included Pranab Mukherji, Sitaram Kesri, Ajit Jogi and Kapil Sibal.Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar was amongst the first ones to call on him.

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The death of Rajesh Pilot and the conviction of Rao, which really spells the end of the road for him politically, will lead to a petering out of dissidence in the Congress. This should come as a breather for Sonia Gandhi as she is poised to go into organisational elections.

Rao8217;s acquittal, on the other hand, would have made him a rival power centre in the party without his ever coming up-front. Given the disenchantment in the party with Sonia8217;s leadership today, Rao could have become a thorn in her side. Without dethroning her, he would have unsettled her.

Today Advani is seen as a natural successor to Vajpayee. Even though political rehabilitation would have been a long haul for him, Narasimha Rao is the only one who had the potential to become a rallying point for many in the non-BJP family in the post-Vajpayee phase. He could have been acceptable to the Left parties and to many regional chieftains.