You Can't Erase A Party With A History Of 132 Years, It Will Recover

In his first interview since demitting the office of the President of India, PRANAB MUKHERJEE speaks exclusively to India Today Group Editorial Director RAJ CHENGAPPA.

- Raj Chengappa

Q. Why do you think the Congress was defeated in 2014 and sunk to its lowest tally ever?

A. We managed the coalition of UPA-I exceedingly well. Though overall our own strength was 147 and we had more parties as coalition parties—parties from the Left, the socialists, the Samajwadi Party were supporting us from the outside —that coalition was much more cohesive, it was running, it was functioning and we could deliver good governance. But in UPA-II, the coalition did not do so.

Q. Why did things go so wrong in UPA-II?

A. One reason for the Congress downfall was that it thought that the 200 seats it won were equal to 280 seats. So the flexibility of mind and flexibility to accept others’ views was restricted. Secondly, in terms of the coalition, Mamata Banerjee departed in 2012. It was very difficult to handle her, no doubt, but at the same time we had to handle her because she had 19 Lok Sabha members, a big partner. I had fought with her, we had an open confrontation in the cabinet, she used to get very angry with me but nonetheless I could keep her in the coalition. I was elected President in July and she left the coalition in October. Also most of the major legislative initiatives, including bold decisions like the civil nuclear cooperation agreement, were taken during UPA-I. But somehow or the other, in UPA-II we appeared to have lost this steam to move ahead. We may have been tired or whatever may have been the reason, but that’s why in 2014 we lost.

Q. Did you sense that the Congress party was going to lose in 2014?