In the year 1991, India faced a severe balance of payment crisis had effective actions not been taken the country would have faced a bankruptcy. Earlier, the country had to pledge its gold in the Bank of England to face off the immediate BOP crisis. The country's was on election mode. Untimely demise of the prime ministerial candidate of the Congress party made the country to feel the political vacuum.The Congress party , which ruled the country for the most part of independent India, had suddenly become a rudderless party. The party made a significant total in the hustings thanks to sympathy wave created as a result of Rajiv's death. The party was well short of half -way mark. It was a piquant situation for the party to be headed by the someone outside the Nehru-Gandhi clan.
pamulaparti venkata narasimha rao(PVN) was called in to rescue the country and the party. Known to be a trusted confidante of Nehru-Gandhi family. Having served as Cheif Minister of Andhra Pradhesh, and in home and external affairs portfolio it seemed he was a natural choice for the post of Prime Minister. The immediate concern of his new ministry was to bail out the country from the economic debacle. He made out of turn appointment in his ministry by asking ex-RBI Governor Manmohan singh as his Finance Minister . He made economic Liberalization (which was seen as a 180 degree turn ) from the nehruvian policies . Of course, he faced resistance from the party because of shrewd practice of realpolitik he silenced his critics. His tenure was full of scandals, riots, civil unrests. But , the credit should be given to establishing diplomatic relations with the Isreal (however, there were informal engagements going on with that state since, 1969) He brought the Punjab 's insurgency to an end which was plaguing the state for more than a decade. One may question his handling of Babri Masjid demolition during his tenure . In reality, after that incident BJP ruled states were put under president rule after a year they lost at the polls because the demolition made the issue a non-issue .
In 1993, the indian stock market faced the multi crore scam years after the mundra scandal of Nehru era. Rao's punchline to the media about the scam was "Law will take its own course". Heading a minority government was not an easy job. The chanakya in him brought out plans and counter plans to tide over the situation. In other words, he used every ploy in the books of crook to keep the government in power.
One should believe in destiny when the 1991 polls were going on Rao was not even contesting he almost took retirtement from the active politics. But, fate thought otherwise. When he was made Prime Minister he had to contest by-poll from Nandyal . He was also the first Prime Minister from the south of Vindhyas. His arch rival, telugu desam party did not put up a rival candidate
to honour the "telugu biddha" . He won the eletions with a huge margin of 5,00,000 lakhs votes .
Rao was a cartoonist delight as always his caricature came out with "purse" mouth. Even, his political adversaries called him "mauni baba" as if he represented the tacit turn society .
During his tenure,he had carried out all spade works to conduct the nuclear test but could not carry out due to US pressure .When there was a power transfer after the 1996 polls he said to BJP's prime ministerial candidate , Atal Bihari Vajpayee,"Bomb is ready you can go ahead".
Rao could speak several languages telugu, english,hindi, kannada, marathi, urdu at ease just like a native speaker . He was also conversant in persian,spanish , frenchetc.
He acheived a rare distinction of the first Prime minister to complete the full tenure outside the Nehru-gandhi family.
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