Natwar Singh says Jairam Ramesh's 'indiscretion' led to his 'banishment from darbar'

Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh reminisces Sonia Gandhi's journey to the top in Indian politics in his book 'One Life is Not Enough'.

Not the one to mince words, he suggests, that when Gandhi was making her early beginnings into her political career, she barely had the makings of a leader.

According to the book, Gandhi didn't have good oratory skills at that time, and hence, she relied on Natwar Singh to help her improve her speeches. Another political leader who made himself useful was Jairam Ramesh.

Ramesh was sent to 'fine tune' her speech, Singh mentions in the book. Calling him a 'wizard with the computer' Singh says that Ramesh was 'good company'.

The only drawback to this seemed to be Ramesh's 'razor sharp wit' of which Singh himself was an occasional target.

Ramesh however did end up on Gandhi's bad books after all. Singh doesn't reveal what Ramesh did to irk Gandhi but just says that he 'once invited Sonia's wrath for an indiscretion.'

After that episode, Ramesh was completely sidelined. Singh says in the book that Gandhi refused to see him and 'banishment from the darbar' was the 'ultimate manifestation of her displeasure'