The PM’s encomium to Vajpayee on his extraordinary contribution to the peace process with Pakistan opens the door for a third political triangulation by the Congress. It is no secret that the PM is awaiting the first available opportunity to visit Pakistan, engage the newly elected leadership and elevate the bilateral ties to a new level. Giving due credit to Vajpayee for imagining the possibilities for peace in the Subcontinent should help undercut inevitable opposition from the BJP to the PM’s new outreach to Pakistan. By putting ties with Pakistan on the front burner, the Congress can also counter the CPM’s argument that the UPA government’s diplomacy has been exclusively focused on America. As it prepares for the latest political variant of the epic battle in Kurukshethra, the Congress leadership has everything to gain by celebrating Vajpayee as the Bhishma Pitamah.