A thunder here and a resignation there…Ah! It's monsoon.

 - D. Vishnumohan Rao

Come Monsoon, dark and grey clouds spread over everyone’s head. Some grey clouds might pour down heavily and some dark ones strewn away with the wind.

A similar situation prevailed on the national political arena recently. The said to be stable, reserved and unirritable Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee became hot in the cooling season. He was angry, furious, frustrated and finally he launched his weapon, resignation. The whole country, including the Opposition (though it might have celebrated in closed walls) was shocked with the thunderous jolt.

He was angry, not on Opposition parties, not even on Pakistan. He was furious about the behaviours of his own party men and NDA partners. It was astounding development and unprecedented by the NDA members. That too resignation was from a man, who has four strong and long decades of political exposure and who never looked rattled to the worst of the situations he faced.

Vajpayee’s indignation did not just drop like a raindrop from a blue sky. There were many open secret angles to his ire. On the top of the list, it was said that, the NDA associates levelling charges against Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and its involvement in the Unit Trust of India scandal.

It was further said to be Maheswar Singh, a BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh, complaining about the rustic behaviour of Union Communications minister Ram Vilas Paswan at the BJP meeting which ignited the spark. Correspondingly, according to the political analysts, the contents and statements from the platform from the BJP national committee meeting, held during the latter part of July, added fuel to the rage of the Prime Minister. Not only these, definitely there are many other hidden secret angles to the temporary turmoil.

Vajpayee disturbed with Sanjay Nirupam’s statement

NDA parley Siva Sena member in the House Sanjay Nirupam stated from an open dais that Prime Minister’s Office was involved in the Unit Trust of India fiddle, disturbed the Prime Minister very much. Vajpayee was pained with this reaction from a friendly party in spite of explanations released that PMO’s employees were not involved in any scam.

He felt it was inopportune that it was a black mark on his four-decade clean image and his office. The closets of Vajpayee commented that Atal Behari would not have been burdened so heavy, if the remarks were from any Opposition member or party.

It would also be appropriate for the sensible and sensitive man to think of resigning from the position, as the statements of the NDA partners might give chance to people at large to suspect the Prime Minister.

Maheswar Singh’s mention moves Vajpayee

‘Union Telecommunications minister Ram Vilas Paswan behaviour is pulling down the reputation of BJP. Keep all the non-BJP members of NDA under control and see that they behave with discipline’, said BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh Maheswar Singh at the BJP parliamentary party meet. This was directly addressed to the Prime Minister and it did pinch him. The patience of Vajpayee was cut to size with this. Spontaneously he responded, ‘As a Prime Minister, I am responsible for every thing. Yes, I failed to keep the NDA partners with discipline and under check. My health is troubling in addition to my growing age. Under these circumstances, I sincerely feel to move out of the Prime Minister’s position. I decide to resign…’. With this statement, Vajpayee walked out of the meeting venue.

Your resignation dismantles NDA government, please don’t do so

‘You are the direction maker to the NDA. The NDA government collapses if you resign. No. No. Please do not do so’, many senior cabinet colleagues pleaded with the Prime Minister in vain. Like wild fire, the resign decision reached all the NDA member parties’ leaders. Union ministers L K Advani, Jaswanth Singh, Murali Manohar Joshi, Venkaiah Naidu and Pramod Mahajan tried to persuade the irked Vajpayee. Silently the Prime Minister went to his official residence.

Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader Yerrannaidu drove to Vajpayee’s residence and discussed at length to convince and make him withdraw the thought. Prime Minister did not heed to the requests. Tension mounted in all the parties and surmounted their leaders.

CM’s call cools PM

The news reached Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (another NDA parley) supremo Chandrababu Naidu through Yerrannaidu in a jiffy. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister ringed Prime Minister on the ‘hot line’ and discussed in detail with him about the prevailing situation and the solution. “Your resignation responding to some one else’s comments would not suit to your stature. In case there are any issues to be addressed on priority, let that be done through a discussion and dialogue. The problems can be settled among NDA allies themselves with interactions. If you resign, the threat is to the NDA government’. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed the same as Union ministers earlier. Naidu was successful in convincing the Prime Minister. Later through TDP sources, it was learnt that Vajpayee dropped his proposal to make any open statement about his resignation.

BJ Party President hurt BJ Parliamentary Party leader? The rights and interests of the Prime Minister who is Parliamentary Party leader were hurt when Bharatiya Janata Party President Jana Krishna Murthy’s spoke, ‘who should and who should not become part of NDA’. The stretch of a political party until elections will be very vast. Once a party bags the majority and starts forming government, the party leaders will be offered berths in the government. It would be untoward for the party members to pull the strings of those in posts. A similar expression was gathered from various party men about the situation. It is beyond doubt that people cast their votes to NDA taking Vajpayee for granted as Prime Minister and not the BJP behind him. None in the total BJP leadership or cadre could match the image of Vajpayee is also certain.

Finally, NDA allies repose their faith and extend support to Vajpayee

The member parties of National Democratic Alliance conference extended a circular support again to Atal Behari Vajpayee on August 1. The meeting resolved that there were no differences of opinions about the leadership of Vajpayee and he continues to be the Prime Minister. Vajpayee declared the same in the Parliament, the same day.

“I offered my resignation…true…but, our members objected and opposed my offer. They assured me about smooth functioning of NDA in near future. They promised me of total support. We pointed out the lack of co-ordination in the NDA, discussed at length about it. We need a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ with in. It would go smooth, as we will formulate a proper wheel for co-ordination and co-operation. Anyway, this is Monsoon season. Cloudy atmosphere is a common phenomenon. The clouds might get scattered with the wind without raining. They did not disperse completely. I never wished to disturb the House. I only wished to express my hearty feelings…I did it at the party dais. The demand for me to repeat the same in the Parliament would not be apt. I feel the House agrees with my ideology."

And, the clouds over the Prime Minister’s resignation did not pour down; they flew away after creating a temporary chaos. That’s all. Ah! The Monsoon effect.

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