Mani Shankar Aiyar Reflects on Congress's 2014 Defeat and Leadership Choices
The veteran Congress leader suggests the party's 2014 electoral loss could have been less severe if Pranab Mukherjee had been made Prime Minister in 2012.
- Mani Shankar Aiyar, in his new book 'A Maverick in Politics,' argues that Congress's leadership decisions in 2012 contributed to its historic 2014 electoral defeat.
- Aiyar claims that elevating Pranab Mukherjee to Prime Minister and Manmohan Singh to President could have mitigated the party's poor performance in the 2014 elections.
- He attributes the Congress's governance paralysis in 2013 to Sonia Gandhi's illness and Manmohan Singh's health issues following bypass surgeries.
- Aiyar highlights failures in addressing key crises, such as the Anna Hazare-led 'India Against Corruption' movement, as critical missteps during UPA-II's tenure.
- Pranab Mukherjee, a seasoned Congress leader with extensive experience, was seen by Aiyar as the energetic and capable figure needed to lead the government at the time.
Hindustan Times 
NDTV 
