Manmohan Singh wasn’t a ‘weak PM’ – he was a shrewd politician

Singh could never suitably and publicly challenge this incorrect perception of him because there were certain conditions under which he became a PM. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he was a man of resolve and lived a life full of purpose. Historic appointments have constraints built into them. Singh got an opportunity at a particular moment in Indian politics when the president of the party leading the ruling coalition was foreign-born. She needed wider and deeper acceptance within the country. Singh’s appointment as PM was surprising to many within Congress.

Perhaps Singh can be criticised for accepting the nomination with terms and conditions. Once he did, though, he knew it was a great bargain and was in charge of India’s foreign policy and economy for a decade. His humility in public life was misconstrued to brand him as a weak leader by the Opposition and, in equal measure, by his own party. It suited all three. In politics, what appears obvious needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

For over a decade now, the jugalbandi between “good cop” Narendra Modi and “bad cop” Amit Shah has been on display. The jugalbandi of “strong” party president Sonia Gandhi and “weak” PM Singh was necessary for Congress politics at that time. Both are examples of clever posturing that serves a larger political purpose.

Singh’s “weak PM” image benefitted Congress. It was carefully cultivated and helped Sonia Gandhi become the undeclared centre of power. One cannot blame PM Singh for being a willing contributor to the script that worked well for a decade. It was the manifestation of Congress’s culture, which wanted the Gandhi family at the top. That requirement to keep Gandhis above all continues even now.

Singh wasn’t a weak thinker or a weak team leader. He did his job as he wanted to but did it quietly. If the PMO was as weak as it has been written about then how, in 2008, was it that Sonia Gandhi was briefed about the India-US nuclear deal only after it was signed? A special presentation was done for her. Gandhi’s back-office team had done the homework for it by collecting information on not-so-known items like fast-breeder reactors that were becoming controversial. The agreement with Pakistan in Sharm-el-Sheikh was rejected by the party but only after it was signed. Whether it is the episode of Rahul Gandhi publicly criticising his government’s ordinance or rejecting the peace deal with Pakistan, the Congress party has more to answer for than Manmohan Singh vis a vis diminishing the authority of the PM.

In 2009, when Congress retained power, the first reaction that came out of 24 Akbar Road was that “it was a vote for Dr Singh’s handling of the economy”. Before the 2009 election, the 2G scam had erupted. It had affected the Congress’s credibility. But Singh never faced any personal charges of corruption. Notwithstanding “the weak Prime Minister” tag, his presence at the top helped Congress win a second term. The voters rejected L K Advani’s election campaign, which had targeted the then PM.

Those who reported on the Manmohan Singh PMO, Sonia Gandhi’s office and the Congress party, know that he handled the division of power sensitively. Singh was an astute politician and knew what was in his interest and how far he could go. He could judge what Sonia Gandhi would like him to do for the Congress.

There are few examples of political survivors like Singh in Delhi. While he was the quintessential technocrat, he was also an astute politician. Ahmed Patel and members of the “core group” of Congress couldn’t take him for granted. It is also important to remember that his political beliefs were largely those of his party. He succeeded within the party because he had a grip on India’s political-economy.

The equilibrium between Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh was disturbed only after 2012. Several Congress leaders and senior ministers were engaged in factional fights. But Singh’s position was safe. A weak PM or an apolitical man would have lost power dealing with the Congress stalwarts in his Cabinet. His strength lay in the fact that for 10 years, Sonia Gandhi could not find an alternative to him.

During UPA rule, Ahmed Patel used to keep a small notepad in his pocket, to make “notes to remember”. He gave his trademark smile and said, “Dr Singh is not a weak PM, as the media makes him out to be. It takes a lot of time to convince him. I have to prepare the ground to make my arguments. That’s what the notes are for.”

The writer is a journalist