1980, Bhajan Lal: The Haryana strongman and Janata Party leader gave defections a whole new dimension when soon after Indira Gandhi routed his party’s short-lived stint in power and returned with a resounding electoral victory, he called on her and pledged his loyalty. Wholescale, his Janata Party Government in Haryana turned into a Congress Government. Mrs Gandhi was only too pleased.

1989, Janaki Ramachandran: M G Ramachandran’s death left widow Janaki Ramachandran and protegee J Jayalalithaa fighting a bitter battle over his political legacy. Keen to protect her turf, Janaki didn’t hesitate to push Jaya out of MGR’s cortege. However, while initially, Janaki, backed by a bulk of the party MLAs, was on the ascendant and became the Chief Minister in January 1988, her Government lasted only 24 days. A year later, both factions lost the Assembly polls to the DMK. The Janaki group was badly mauled, while Jayalalithaa, even though defeated, showed that she had the mass support. A shaken Janaki called on Jayalalithaa, merged her party into hers and withdrew from the scene. In January 2008, Jayalalithaa paid a visit to the MGR residence, 20 years after she had been evicted from there.

1999, Jayalalithaa: In Jayalalithaa’s words, it was a “political earthquake”. And nobody saw it coming, least of all Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then into just the 13th month of his Government. When the AIADMK supremo paid a rare visit to Delhi and dropped in for tea with Sonia Gandhi at the residence of Subramanian Swamy on March 29, 1999, it set the stage for the fall of the Vajpayee government. The BJP poll posters with Vajpayee’s photograph and the famous one-liner — “Kya kassor tha iska” — struck a chord and Vajpayee returned victorious post-Kargil.

2003, Kalyan Singh: This time it was Prime Minister Vajpayee’s turn to receive a surprise visitor, at his birthday party in Lucknow. Kalyan Singh, who had quit the BJP and called him names after a bitter party feud, bought his peace with a box of sweets. The hero of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement had returned home, but without his sheen.

2004, Sonia Gandhi: Climbing down from her famed ivory tower, Sonia Gandhi called on NCP leader Sharad Pawar in January 2004 in hunt for allies to take on the NDA. Pawar, who had once split from the Congress over Sonia’s foreign origins, gladly returned the favour. Sonia was in, while poor P A Sangma found himself out.

2007, Narendra Modi: A decisive poll win behind him and the dissidents sent scurrying for cover, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi showed he could be gracious in victory. He drove to the residence of key dissident BJP leader Keshubhai Patel on December 25 and sought his blessings. “I congratulate Narendra Modi,” was all that Keshubhai could say.