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The Americans are wooing external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee these days with same single-minded intensity they showed when they decided to cultivate LK Advani during the previous Vajpayee government’s tenure. At that time, the compulsion was to get India to agree to send troops to Iraq to fight Washington’s war against Saddam Hussein and Advani’s acquiescence as Vajpayee’s number two was vital. The driving force now is the vexed nuclear deal whose fate seems to be in Mukherjee’s hands, or rather in his ability to persuade an adamant Left to come on board. There are interesting parallels, with the Bush Administration using a similar mix of aggression and charm to get its way. First, an invitation for a purely bilateral visit.

Mukherjee leaves for Washington towards the end of March on the first such trip for an external affairs minister of the UPA government. Next, the personal touch. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host a private one-on-one dinner for Mukherjee. Then, the icing on the cake: George Bush is fully expected to “drop in” ever so casually when Mukherjee meets Rice in the White House for official talks. The Bush Administration has clearly run out of ideas because it laid on much the same red carpet welcome for Advani. Ironically, it failed in its mission then after fears of a domestic backlash prompted the Vajpayee government to reject Washington’s request to lend Indian soldiers for the Iraq War. Will it have better luck this time? With the Left threatening to sink the Manmohan Singh government if it goes ahead with the nuclear deal, it looks like the Americans have run into the domestic compulsion roadblock again.

Washington’s aggressive courtship of Mukherjee has added a new name on the external affairs minister’s list of frequent visitors. US ambassador David Mulford is increasingly seen in South Block, going into or emerging from Mukherjee’s room. One enterprising person who keeps track of these things estimates that the American envoy has met the minister at least five times in the past two months. It brings to mind a similar development on the other side of Raisina Hill when Mulford’s predecessor, Robert Blackwill, regularly dropped in to meet Advani at the peak of Washington’s Mission Iraq.

It used to be said then that Blackwill and Advani became great friends through these interactions, exchanging views on a whole range of ideas. An assessment of the Mukherjee-Mulford rapport hasn’t trickled through yet. Interestingly, although Washington’s Mission Iraq failed, Blackwill went on to become India’s lobbyist on Capitol Hill for a handsome fee when he went back. His contract was renewed recently. Mulford has stuck it out here despite his wife’s illness, his own health problems and strident opposition from the Left. Speculation is rife whether he too will associate himself with the India cause when his tenure ends with the change of guard in Washington.

TAILPIECE

The writing on the wall in Tripura was clear to all except local Congress leaders, it seems. In the days preceding declaration of the assembly election results, a group of Tripura Congressmen descended on Delhi to lobby for ministerial posts in the new government. Obviously, they had no clue that their party was again heading for a drubbing from the Left. They went scurrying back to Agartala with their tails between their legs after a senior member of the Congress high command lost his temper at them for being so disconnected from ground realities.

Email: a_jerath@dnaindia.net