When Vajpayee was ready to support a Congress government led by Manmohan Singh

The BJP is today on a mission to make India "Congress-mukt". Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have spoken about it in several public meetings. However, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the tallest BJP leader and former prime minister, was once ready to support Congress government at the Centre.

His only condition was that the Congress government should be headed by Manmohan Singh, who eventually became the prime minister of India succeeding Vajpayee in 2004.

Vajpayee had discussed the proposal with senior party leader LK Advani. The sequence of events had the political uncertainties in the second half of 1990s. Vajpayee was said to have been very perturbed with frequently changing governments at the Centre. Four governments had been sworn in between 1996 and 1998 including two led by Vajpayee himself.

VAJPAYEE AND MANMOHAN

Vajpayee considered this trend as damaging for the progress of India. He believed that "a strong Centre" was necessary for keep India's economic well being on track. PV Narsimha Rao had headed a minority government between 1991 and 1996. Manmohan Singh was the finance minister in the government and had opened up India's market.

Vajpayee is said to have "very good opinion" about Manmohan Singh. It was not only Vajpayee, even the then Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani wished Manmohan Singh well.

In July 1991, when Manmohan Singh stood up in the Lok Sabha to present his liberalization Budget, there was total chaos in the House with the Left and socialists obstructing his speech. Suddenly, Advani stood up and addressed the then Speaker Sivaraj Patil saying that the finance minister should be allowed to proceed with his Budget presentation. And, there followed complete silence in the Lok Sabha.

During the discussion on 1991 Budget, Vajpayee spoke at length raising various objections but he praised the overall provisions for paving way for open market. In his concluding speech, Manmohan Singh acknowledged Vajpayee's criticism and promised to take appropriate steps to plug loopholes.

As prime minister in 2009, Manmohan Singh visited his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence in New Delhi to greet him on his birthday. (Photo: PTI)

THE UNTHINKABLE PROPOSAL

Six years and three governments later, Vajpayee felt that the Congress was in a position to form a stable government at the Centre. The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in 1996 elections and Vajpayee had to resign as prime minister after running a government for 13 days. HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral formed next two governments in quick succession.

The United Front coalition was not doing well politically and this had left Vajpayee worried about the prospects of the country as a whole. The India story that had begun in 1991 was said to be dying a premature death. Vajpayee wanted to keep India story and hope alive.

Vajpayee sent trusted aide and poet-film producer RV Pandit as an "emissary" to Manmohan Singh. RV Pandit later wrote about the events in a national daily. According to Pandit, before sending a message to Manmohan Singh, Vajpayee had consulted LK Advani, who had agreed to his senior colleague's proposal. Advani may not have supported the idea later.

Vajpayee's missive to Manmohan Singh was simple yet politically unthinkable: The BJP is ready to support a Congress government at the Centre if it chooses Manmohan Singh as its leader. Simply put, Vajpayee was ready to support Manmohan Singh government of the Congress for stability of India.

Manmohan Singh is said to have replied, "The Congress would not hear of it." The unthinkable political equation could not be worked out.