Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has said that the Gandhi family was instrumental in both his political rise and eventual marginalisation within the party. "The irony of my life is that my political career was made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis," Aiyar remarked.
83-year-old Aiyar, famous for his controversial remarks that have resulted in several suspensions from the party, said to news agency PTI in an exclusive interview, that he was not given any substantial, direct engagement with key members of the Gandhi family over the years.
Asked about the patronage he received from the Gandhis, Aiyar said, "To succeed in politics, you need a strong base—either an unbeatable constituency, caste base, or religious backing. I had none of these."
"I only had patronage, first from former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and later from Sonia Gandhi. But that’s an uncertain foundation in politics. When Sonia Gandhi became upset with me in 2010, that patronage started to wane—though not entirely," he explained.
Aiyar noted that, on a personal level, Sonia Gandhi continued to show some affection for him, but it marked the beginning of a gradual decline over 15 years. He added, "When Rahul Gandhi came in, I thought things would improve, as he once told me he agreed with me 100 percent. But then he proved that by having his mother remove me from my position as the national convenor of the Panchayati Raj Sangathan, which was named after Rajiv Gandhi. He also began refusing to meet me, and as a result, today, I am completely isolated."
"For 10 years, I was never given the chance to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one. I only had one opportunity to spend meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi, and with Priyanka, it was just once, or maybe twice," he said, adding that Priyanka Gandhi has occasionally called him, maintaining some level of contact.
Recalling a specific incident, Mr Aiyar said that during a period when he was suspended from the party, he had to rely on the Wayanad MP to pass on his birthday wishes to Rahul Gandhi.
"I happened to meet her (Priyanka Gandhi), and she’s always been very kind to me," he said. "I thought, since Rahul's birthday was in June, I could ask her to convey my greetings to him."
When Priyanka asked why he wasn't directly speaking to Rahul, he replied, "I am suspended, so I can't talk to my leader."
Mr Aiyar also mentioned that he wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi, starting with birthday wishes but also seeking clarification on his suspension. However, he said, "I never received any acknowledgment for that letter."
In his interview, Mani Shankar Aiyar also reflected on his estrangement from the Congress Party, saying, "I have gotten used to being out of the party. I am still a member of the party, and I’ll never shift. I certainly will not join the BJP."
In his latest book A Maverick in Politics, Mani Shankar Aiyar argues that in 2012, Pranab Mukherjee should have been appointed Prime Minister while Manmohan Singh should have been elevated to President. Aiyar believes this decision could have prevented the paralysis of governance that plagued the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and potentially secured a better future for the Congress Party.
Aiyar reflects that the choice to keep Singh as Prime Minister and move Mukherjee to the Rashtrapati Bhawan "doomed" any chance of forming UPA-III. He points out that the prime minister's declining health and lack of governance, alongside the absence of a clear direction within the Congress party, led to a period of inaction.
Aiyar further cites Mukherjee’s own memoirs, which indicate that a similar course of action was under consideration, but ultimately, the decision was made to retain Singh as Prime Minister. This move, Aiyar believes, significantly contributed to the Congress's downfall in the 2014 general elections, where the party's seat count plummeted from 404 in 1984 to a mere 44.
In his book, Aiyar also explores the lack of response to scandals such as the Commonwealth Games controversy and the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement, which tarnished the UPA’s reputation. Aiyar argues that the failure to effectively tackle these challenges, combined with the absence of a strong, active leadership, played a pivotal role in the Congress's historic defeat.
(With inputs from PTI)