P.V. Narasimha Rao: A Strategist and Commanding Contributor to Governance
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00195561221109086 |
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Notes |
P.V. Narasimha Rao:
A Strategist and
Commanding
Contributor to
Governance
Shashi Bhushan Kumar1
Introduction
Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao ascended to the oce of prime minister
(PM) of India at a time when India was stuck at its worst phase of economic
turmoil. In spite of being a minority government, it restored political stability
and gave new direction to national politics. He assumed the leadership of the
Congress party and proved that there was hope beyond the Nehru–Gandhi dynasty.
His keen insight had initiated India on the path of economic liberalisation, the
ripples of which are felt by the country to date. What has India achieved under the
leadership of Rao and what Rao as PM deserve credit for? These are the issues
explored in this brief Note.
P.V. Narasimha Rao had decided to retire from politics altogether in early 1990
when Rajiv Gandhi denied him a Lok Sabha seat on account of his alleged old
age. This saddened Rao, but, being a reticent person, he did not create ruckus like
other Congress leaders, rather made arrangements to go back to his hometown,
Hyderabad (Singh, 2014, p. 290). He had almost shifted from New Delhi to
Hyderabad, but the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 paved the way for his
comeback. On 22 May 1991, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had an
emergency meeting at 5:00 PM. This meeting, presided over by Rao, decided to
elect Sonia Gandhi as the Congress President. But the very next day, she declined
(Ramesh, 2015, p. 4). After a few days, Sonia Gandhi called P.N. Haksar for
advice. Haksarʼs advice was to oer the post of Congress President to Vice-
President Shankar Dayal Sharma. But Sharma politely declined saying that ‘The
prime ministership of India is a full-time job. My age and health would not let
Note
1 Department of Political Science, R.N. College, B.R.A. Bihar University, Hajipur, Vaishali, Bihar, India.
Corresponding author:
Shashi Bhushan Kumar, Department of Political Science, R.N. College, B.R.A. Bihar University,
Hajipur, Vaishali, Bihar 844101, India.
E-mail: shashibhushan911@gmail.com
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
69(1) 229–240, 2023
© 2022 IIPA
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DOI: 10.1177/00195561221109086
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