It was then that Pawar first chose to contest for the top job, against Narasimha Rao. The prime ministership, Pawar thought, was almost in his sight. Sonia was nowhere in the decision-making process, and he could not complain that she “blocked” his march. The year was 1991, he was 51, in the mainstream party, and with connectivity across the parties. But Rao proved to be smarter and played his seniority card, virtually forcing Pawar to withdraw from the

contest at the last minute.

That was a setback; and yet it established, or so he thought, that he was perceived as “prime-minister material”. He considers himself an architect of multi-party alliances and feels that if there is a crisis, he has the ability to navigate through it. A master of political skulduggery, he has mobilised all kinds of resources to take a final plunge. Now he is 70, and feels that this year could be his last chance.

At the NCP meeting held in Nashik this weekend, Sharad Pawar virtually declared intra-UPA war, challenging the Congress high command to decide on its national alliances or face fratricidal fights. Pawar is convinced, like many observers, that even if the Congress emerges as the single largest party (however debatable an assumption that may be), it may not find allies with working arithmetic. He feels that in that situation the party will be forced to take a stand, like in 1996, when Deve Gowda became prime minister with the support of the Congress and the Left. To prevent the BJP from forming the government, the Congress will have no option but to support a candidate, not from a Third Front, but from a Fourth Front. Sure, he has better networking with the other “secular” parties — and, if the situation demands, also with the “communal” parties. Unsurprisingly, the Shiv Sena, notwithstanding its formal alliance with the BJP, has made it abundantly clear that if Pawar is the candidate for the top job, he has their support. But, in case of even more complicated parliamentary arithmetic, Pawar can mobilise outside “support” from the BJP too. After all the “secular” government led by V.P. Singh was supported by the BJP as well as the Left.

... contd.