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The Rediff Interview/ Ranjit Deshmukh

'Sharad Pawar has always been very unpredictable'

Former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ranjit Deshmukh and longstanding Sharad Pawar loyalist, is gravely disappointed with the Maratha leader's defiance of Sonia Gandhi's leadership. Deshmukh, who was eased out to make way for Prataprao Bhosle -- who does not feature in Pawar's list of political friends -- is certain that Pawar is risking his political future with his rebellion.

In a telephone conversation from Nagpur, he spoke to Archana Masih about Pawar's role in the Congress party and speculates on the repercussions of his letter to the Congress president.

Has Sharad Pawar jeopardised his political career by this confrontation with Sonia Gandhi?

Yes certainly. Pawar is trying to bring up a topic that is essentially a non-issue. It is hardly of any importance. This issue of only naturalised citizens becoming President, vice-president or prime minister does not hold ground. If it were so, why wasn't there any condemnation when Inder Kumar Gujral was made PM, he was born in Pakistan. If Rajmata Scindia got a chance to become PM, would anyone say that she was born in Nepal and hence is not fit for the job?

But Gujral was born in pre-Independent India...

So why was this question about Sonia's eligibility for PM not asked by Pawar and company 15 months back? They first say she was the undisputed leader and then rake up this non-issue now. She took over as Congress president after much persuasion and reluctance, in view of the potential threat she faced, after knowing that both Indira Gandhi and her husband Rajiv were assassinated. We must not forget that the Congress workers have found a morale-booster in her, after a long period they are confident of the abilities of their president.

You have been perceived as a close lieutenant of Sharad Pawar, what do you think will be his next move?

As of now he seems to be sticking to his stand. Who knows, he might relent later. Earlier also, he had left the Congress to form the Congress-S in 1978, only to return later...

And there are chances of Sonia Gandhi withdrawing her resignation as well?

With persuasion and pressure coming in from workers from all corners of the nation, Sonia Gandhi will be forced to take back her resignation. Eventually, she will succumb to the desire of the party. The Congress party wants her back.

So, you think it has been a serious miscalculation by the trio, especially by Pawar?

It's surprising that these three senior leaders could not see that they have no national acceptance. They can never form an alternative to Sonia Gandhi. There are only two leaders in India who have national acceptance -- Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- and Sharad Pawar and P A Sangma can never attain that level of acceptability.

What decision do you think the CWC will take now -- Pawar is still valuable to the Congress in view on the party's sound performance in Maharashtra in the last Lok Sabha poll.

The CWC could either reject the letter completely or regard it as a non-issue, unworthy of further discussions or deliberation. Or these three members could make their own decisions. I can't say what will eventually happen, it is up to the CWC to make a decision.

As someone who has known Pawar while he operated in Maharashtra politics, what do you think Pawar's next move will be? Will he split the party and forge an alliance as is being rumoured with Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chandra Shekhar and Ramakrishna Hegde?

Pawar has always been very unpredictable. Who would have thought that, after being proposed by Sonia Gandhi for the leadership of the Congress Parliamentary Party, he would suddenly raise the issue of her birth? I feel Pawar must be very confused just now.

If Pawar does forge an alliance -- won't it not only be beneficial to the BJP-Shiv Sena and harmful to the Congress, but equally harmful to Pawar's own political ambitions? Since Rajiv Gandhi's assassination it has been evident that Pawar has sought greater glory at the Centre rather than Maharashtra.

Like I said, he has not made up his mind yet. He has said he doesn't want to leave the Congress party, but there are chances that he could choose to form an alliance because he sees no other way of becoming PM or deputy PM. He could still become prime minister with 10, 15 MPs like (Deve) Gowda or Gujral. Yes, both Pawar and Sangma have prime ministerial ambitions.

But Sharad Pawar for years has been a far more stronger leader than a Deve Gowda or Gujral?

Yes, that is true. It is also not befitting of a leader like him (to become PM with the support of 10, 15 MPs) Sharad Pawar has become a powerful leader only because of the Congress party. What happened when he left the party in 1977? He only managed one MP and 42 MLAs!

After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Pawar has largely been seen as isolated, or sometimes uncomfortable in the party. Why has Pawar been unsuccessful in garnering support in New Delhi?

This is Pawar's third attempt at establishing his superiority within the Congress party. First was in 1991, after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. He pitted himself against Narasimha Rao, where 75 per cent of the party members supported Rao. This was a grave miscalculation on his part and a very childish gesture. The second attempt was when he tried becoming Congress president and could not even muster enough support to dislodge Sitaram Kesri -- the weakest Congress president ever. His third attempt has been this letter against Sonia Gandhi's eligibility as PM.

But why has the Maratha strongman been unsuccessful at the Centre?

Pawar is a good mentor, a good organiser, but has a superiority complex. He has not been able to win the confidence of party members. This is why he has a substantial number of detractors within the party.

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