NATION
President Pranab Da
K V Prasad

IT is not often that a serving Union Minister moves from the corridors of power on the North Block and Parliament House up the Raisina Hill to become the President of India. Four immediate predecessors of Pranab Mukherjee came from different backgrounds, with three being elevated from the gubernatorial posts.

Pranabda, Pranab babu or simply Dada, as he is known in political circles enjoys the widest possible acceptance across the political spectrum in the country. In fact, during the Budget session of Parliament this year, many from the Opposition wished him on his possible elevation even before the Congress and the ruling U PA government at the Centre officially began the search for a presidential candidate.

Yet, the road to Rashtrapati Bhavan was not exactly smooth with elements of drama being introduced at the penultimate moment by Mamata Banerjee, in tandem with the Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The two almost tripped Mukherjee's bid till the Congress leadership launched a late-night rearguard action to salvage the situation and eventually emerge triumphant in a electoral contest against former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma. `Pranabda is the best'' was the oft-made comment by former Union Minister late Pramod Mahajan. With the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee handing him the responsibility as Parliamentary Affairs minister, Mahajan usually narrated anecdotes to convey the statesman-like approach of Mukherjee.

The sagacity and all-round respect for Mukherjee gave the Manmohan Singh Government a unique advantage which it sorely misses. According to him, there was room for only three `D's - Debate, Dissension and Decision and not for the fourth `D', - Disruption.

That the Congress top leadership depends on his sagacious advice even now is no secret as in the run-up to the reshuffle in the Cabinet the President gave audience both to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi separately, besides customary interaction with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A stickler for protocol and upholding the dignity of office of the President, Mukherjee showed flexibility in doing away with age-old practice of suffixing the title `His Excellency'', to the widely-used ''Honourable''.

The President also initiated two projects, one to create a museum to showcase the artefacts and gifts the office receives, and the other is to restart the practice of allowing visiting Heads of State to stay in the stately Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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