Jyoti Basu: The man who came close to becoming prime minister

Towards the end of 1996, Jyoti Basu came very close to becoming the prime minister of India, but his party missed the chance that the veteran Marxist described as a "historic blunder".

But the CPI(M) did not agree with Basu's description of the offer, a chance that rarely comes the Communist's way in India.

Just after the 1996 elections produced a hung verdict in which the Congress could not come back to power and the BJP failed to prove its majority, the non-Congress stalwarts sat together in Tamil Nadu House to chose their prime ministerial candidate.

It was the late VP Singh, who himself had turned down the offer first, suggested that Basu should be made the prime minister of the United Front government.

The proposal was taken to CPI(M) by the ever-pragmatic practitioner of politics, late Harkishen Singh Surjeet, the then CPI(M) general secretary.

The politburo met and riven by differences, it forwarded the issue to the powerful Central committee after a voting.

The committee declined the offer saying the party was still not in a position to dictate its policies, and would not be able to get them implemented by a coalition government.

When Surjeet conveyed this to UF leaders, VP Singh again suggested that the CPI(M) CC should be asked to reconsider the decision.

From Tamil Nadu House, Surjeet called Prakash Karat to tell leaders to stay back in the capital for an emergency meeting. But the CC again turned down the offer politely.