How the writer R Jagannathan derives a different perspective from Sanjay Baru's book,"The Accidental Prime Minister: The making and unmaking of Manmohan Singh", what we most knew earlier about MMS as a UPA prime minister, that stood only a fraction of the real time happenings story behind the closed doors of PMO. ?
What he narrates is that "Manmohan Singh was a cipher, especially in UPA-2. The halo that he built around himself with his tough stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008 disappeared in UPA-2 – when the Congress party’s victory with 206 seats shifted the Dynasty’s priorities from government to projection of dynastic succession. So what is Baru telling us that is different from what we already knew? Actually, there are quite a few reasons why the story needed telling by an insider. Was Sonia controlling the Manmohan Singh government?
First, what was apparent could never be formally confirmed because both the PMO and Sonia Gandhi’s courtiers have denied always dual power centres – but nobody believed them. Even now, the PMO’s office has rubbished Baru’s claims, dismissing it as “coloured” and a piece of “fiction.” But the fact is Baru’s book carries more credibility than the PMO’s denial. In fact, the PMO’s denial is effectively Sonia’s denial, since the ring around Manmohan Singh comprises not his own people, but Sonia’s – including his principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee and his media adviser Pankaj Pachauri. Neither of them owed their jobs to the PM."
Baru’s book says: “Pulok, who was inducted into the Manmohan Singh PMO at the behest of Sonia Gandhi, had regular, almost daily, meetings with Sonia at which he was said to brief her on the key policy issues of the day and seek her instructions on important files to be cleared by the PM.” A caveat is in order here: Baru exited the PMO in 2008 – and so this claim must be the product of Baru’s research or anonymous sources.
INDIA HONEST agrees with the observations and one known fact that Sonia Gandhi was the real head at both the power centres, the Congress party and the government, while Manmohan Singh was simply putting official seal of prime minister on the files . Expectantly there was little friction,as Dr. Singh being an obidient soldier under Madam Sonia, always toeing the Sonia line in to to in the government .Even many files were approved and signed by the prime minister, even without seeing the contents .
But the question now arises, in a remote chance if UPA3 comes up, and with naturally Rahul leading that government , hopefully a weaker combination of allies, so their is possibility that Rahul may not agree to the interference of Madam Sonia alike MMS.
If the hypothetical UPA 3 ever takes place, it will run a greater risk of rift between Rahul and Sonia in the administration of government,with Rahul toeing a seperate line, more akin to the drama of rejecting the cabinet/Sonia approved ordinance in past .