Momentary lapses of reason

Ram Prakash Gupta was leading a relatively obscure life as vice-chairman of the Yojana Ayog, when PM Vajpayee thrust power him on him, and n...

Ram Prakash Gupta was leading a relatively obscure life as vice-chairman of the Yojana Ayog, when PM Vajpayee thrust power him on him, and named him chief minister of UP in 1999. The stint lasted less than a year, but rekindled ambitions that had been long dormant.

It is well known in political circles that Gupta, an astrologer, was promised a gubernatorial assignment after he vacated the CM’s seat for Rajnath Singh. But the charge of Madhya Pradesh was not something he had predicted for himself. ‘‘I had chosen Uttaranchal, where I have spent 50 years, but I was given a larger state,’’ says Gupta. Asked how he felt about working with a Congress CM, his reply was, ‘‘The governor’s post has nothing to do with politics. I will discharge my duty within the norms.’’

Born in 1934 and associated with the RSS since his student days, Gupta has always been known for doing his duty. His stint as deputy to CM Charan Singh in 1967, and as Industries Minister underscored his reputation as a no-nonsense leader.

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‘‘He is one of the few politicians who remind us why simplicity was a virtue for our senior leaders,’’ says state BJP chief Vinay Katiyar, one of the first to congratulate Gupta after he was named MP governor.

For all the goodwill, the septuagenarian leader will have to battle a fading memory. Associates recall how, during a Janata Darshan programme as CM, he sought a complaint from his minister Fateh Bahadur Singh, mistaking him for a common supplicant. Yet another gaffe involved film star Anupam Kher; the actor was floored when Gupta complimented him on a performance in a film that did not feature him!

These momentary lapses of reason aside, Gupta — father of three daughters and two sons — often provides signs he is all there. Before leaving for Bhopal, he had a word of advice for Kalyan Singh: ‘‘It is good if he is realising his mistake and wants to come back to the party fold. It’ll be good for the BJP as well as Kalyan.’’ A hint that though physically he’ll be in Madhya Pradesh, his heart will still be beating for UP.