Atal Bihari Vajpayee Turned Down Chance To Become President, Says New Book

In 2002, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned down the chance to become President, despite his team's advice, stating that such a move would undermine India's parliamentary democracy and set a dangerous example for future leaders, a new book by his media advisor claims.

Ashok Tandon, who served as Mr Vajpayee's media advisor during his tenure as Prime Minister between 1998 to 2004, in his book The Reverse Swing: Colonialism to Cooperation, says it was the former Prime Minister who recommended APJ Abdul Kalam for presidency after KR Narayan's term ended in 2002. The recommendation was met with surprise by Congress leaders but all parties reached a consensus after Samajwadi Party endorsed the idea.

The book quotes Mulayam Singh Yadav, the then-leader of the Samajwadi Party as saying, "Dr Kalam is my choice".

Mr Tandon describes an episode when Mr Vajpayee's team suggested that he be nominated as the NDA's presidential candidate, leaving the prime ministership to LK Advani. But Mr Vajpayee worried that if a sitting Prime Minister were elected to the presidency, especially with a large majority, it would undermine India's parliamentary democracy and set a dangerous precedent for future leaders.

"He warned that an incumbent Prime Minister becoming a President with the help of a majority in the Electoral College wouldn't augur well in a parliamentary democracy like India and would set a very dangerous precedent and that he would be the last person to support such a move," the book reads, according to a report by Indian Express.

"I remember, Sonia Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee and Dr Manmohan Singh came to meet him. Vajpayee virtually surprised them by disclosing officially for the first time that the NDA had decided to field Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for the Presidential election," Mr Tandon writes.

Following Mr Vajpayee's surprise announcement, Mr Tandon writes, there was a stunned silence before Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's voice cut through the stillness. "We are flabbergasted by your choice," Mrs Gandhi said. "We have no option but to support him. But will discuss your proposal and take a decision."

Former vice president and BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu was quoted in a PTI report from 2004 making a similar claim that he had suggested Mr Vajpayee take the President post but the latter again refused.