'Made, unmade by Gandhis,' Mani Shankar Aiyer reflects on his rise and fall in Congress

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has candidly shared how his political career was shaped and later diminished by the Gandhi family. In an interview promoting his forthcoming book 'A Maverick in Politics', Aiyar said, “The irony of my life is that my political career was made by the Gandhis and unmade by the Gandhis.”

Aiyar, who served as a Union minister and a Member of Parliament, admitted that for over a decade, was not given the opportunity to meet Sonia Gandhi one-on-one or spend meaningful time with Rahul Gandhi. Yet, he remains loyal to the Congress party, stating firmly, “I’ll never shift, and I will certainly not go to the BJP.”

Rise through patronage, fall through isolation

In a recent interview, Aiyar credited his initial political success to the support of the Gandhi family, particularly former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and later Sonia Gandhi.

“If you want to be successful in politics, you need a strong base – either an undefeatable constituency, caste, or religious support. I had none of these. I only had patronage,” he explained.

However, the withdrawal of that patronage in 2010 marked the beginning of his decline.

“When Sonia Gandhi got angry with me in 2010, that patronage was withdrawn. Yet, not completely. On a personal level, she still had some affection for me,” he revealed.

With Rahul Gandhi’s rise in the party, Aiyar’s expectations of a renewed political standing were quickly dashed.

“Rahul said to me that earlier, he agreed with me 75 percent, but now he agreed with me 100 percent. Yet, he proved this by asking his mother to remove me from the only position I held in the Congress,” Aiyar said, referring to his role as the national convenor of the Panchayati Raj Sangathan.

"Neech" remark and suspension

Aiyar’s political trajectory was further marred by controversies. He cited the December 7, 2017, “neech” remark row as a defining moment of his downfall. The incident led to his suspension from the Congress, which deepened his distance from the Gandhis.

In his book, Aiyar recounts how his suspension was handled.

“Rahul Gandhi kept me away as if I were a political leper,” he wrote, describing months of uncertainty where he received no clarity on his status within the party.

Even his attempts to reach out to Rahul Gandhi through Priyanka Gandhi met with limited success. Aiyar narrated how Priyanka, surprised to learn he couldn’t communicate directly with Rahul, suggested he send his birthday greetings through her instead. Despite his wife’s disapproval of his efforts, Aiyar drafted multiple letters seeking reinstatement. Ultimately, he received only a routine letter of thanks for his birthday greetings from Rahul.

Reinstatement without redemption

On August 20, Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Aiyar’s suspension was revoked, and he was informed of a planned meeting with Rahul Gandhi. However, the meeting never materialised.

Reflecting on this experience, Aiyar wrote, “I was being discarded like soiled tissue paper. Yet, I still clung to the hope of a corner in the Congress sun.”

Aiyar’s memoir also delves into several other controversies, including his remarks on Naxalism and his interactions with senior Congress leaders. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Aiyar remains steadfast in his loyalty to the Congress party, even as he acknowledges his complete isolation within it.

“At the end of the day, I am completely isolated in the party. But I’ll never leave it,” he said. 

PTI