Ending speculation that has persisted for four years about President A P J Abdul Kalam unwilling to appoint Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister, it is now being disclosed that he had a letter of appointment ready for her.
Giving first insights to what transpired at Rashtrapati Bhavan during that period, P M Nair, Secretary to Kalam, says the President was advised to sign the letter, shake hands with Gandhi and congratulate her. Kalam was also told to ask Gandhi when she would like to be sworn in.
Four days after the general election threw up a mixed result with no single party having a majority, the President asked, “What do we do.”
Nair in his book, The Kalam Effect: My years with the President, said the President was advised that he should satisfy himself that there is a party or a coalition of parties which can form a stable government and then invite the leader of that party or the coalition of parties to form the government.
“So, what do I do?,” he asked noting he cannot “wait indefinitely”.
On the advice of his aides, the President sent a letter on May 17, 2004 inviting Gandhi to Rashtrapati Bhavan the same day.
Kalam was told that Gandhi will come with letters of support from different parties. “You do not have to read all of those. Just leaf through them and ring the bell,” Nair suggested to the President, saying he would be in the adjacent room with the appointment letter.
The book will hit the stands on Monday.
Nair says contrary to the rumour doing the rounds then, there was no suggestion at all from Kalam to Sonia not to become Prime Minister.
With the issue of Gandhi’s foreign origin being raked up, there were speculative reports in the media that the President had advised the Congress chief against occupying the key post.
“Gandhi’s meeting with Kalam was fixed on May 18. Gandhi arrived with Manmohan Singh. Minutes ticked. The bell rang. I hurried out with the papers — only to see Gandhi and Singh leaving,” says Nair.
Kalam then told Nair “You told me she would come with letters of support, but she came just for discussions. She said she would come again tomorrow with the letters of support from other parties”.