Aiyar's Untold Memoirs: The Untapped Legacy of Pranab Mukherjee

In his latest book, Mani Shankar Aiyar suggests the UPA-II era could have been salvaged by swapping Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee's roles in 2012. This strategic shift, he argues, might have forestalled Congress's 'paralysis of governance' and the devastating 2014 electoral defeat.

Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar argues in his new book that the UPA-II administration's downfall might have been avoided had Pranab Mukherjee been made Prime Minister instead of Manmohan Singh in 2012 when the Rashtrapati position became vacant.

Aiyar insists that such a move could have prevented the Congress from experiencing a 'paralysis of governance,' leading up to its catastrophic showing in the 2014 general elections where it plummeted to 44 seats.

According to Aiyar, Manmohan Singh, having undergone major surgery, was not fit to lead, making Mukherjee the more dynamic choice capable of managing the party or government effectively.