Pranab Mukherjee
New Delhi, January 5 (PTI): The Congress's failure to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership was among the many reasons for its 2014 Lok Sabha polls defeat, according to former president Pranab Mukherjee who felt lack of extraordinary leaders reduced the establishment to a "government of averages".
Mukherjee made these comments in his memoir "The Presidential Years, 2012-2017" which he wrote before his death last year. The book released on Tuesday.
He also wrote that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not discussed the issue of demonetisation with him prior to his announcement on November 8, 2016 but it did not surprise him as suddenness is absolutely necessary for such announcements.
In the book, Mukherjee mentioned that on the day of the results of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he directed his aide-de-camp to keep him informed of the trends every half an hour.
When the results were announced in the evening, he was "greatly relieved over the decisive mandate but also disappointed at my one-time party's performance".
"It was difficult to believe that the Congress had managed to win just 44 seats. The Congress is a national institution interlinked with people's lives. Its future is always a concern of every thinking individual," he wrote in the book, published by Rupa Publications.
The former Congress leader and Union minister attributed this defeat to many reasons.
"I feel the party failed to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership. Tall leaders like Pandit Nehru ensured that India, unlike Pakistan, survived and developed into a strong and stable nation. Sadly, such extraordinary leaders are not there anymore, reducing the establishment to a government of averages," he wrote.
According to Mukherjee, when he looked back on his years as president, he derived satisfaction not only from the fact that he followed the rule book in letter and spirit in dealing with governments and issues of the day, but also because he never veered from the constitutional parameters that have been laid down for an Indian head of state.
