The relationship between a Prime Minister and his living predecessors is rarely easy. No wonder Narendra Modi's outreach to his political antecedents is drawing so much scrutiny.
After Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Modi has met Janata Dal(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on an "informal" discussion at his Race Course Road residence. The other living former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has been ailing for the past several months.
Although Modi supporters hail it as another example of bipartisan and statesmanlike approach to governance, critics call it a political gimmick. It is also seen as an admission that Modi is floundering in the turbulent sea of decision making.
While Singh took economics lessons for the PM, Gowda focussed on his specialisation in agriculture and asked the flamboyant leader to protect the interest of the farmers.
From time immemorial, rulers have had complex relationships with the previous occupants of the high chair, even when they were from the same family. In his book on the Delhi Sultanate, historian Abraham Eraly has said that antagonism and resentment were the dominant feelings among successors.
Even in modern India, the sentiments were similar. Although it was under Nehru's tutelage that independent India became the world's largest democracy, his successors, including daughter Indira Gandhi and grandson Rajiv Gandhi, had different ideas on both ideology and statecraft.
Since Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shadtri died in office, their successors did not have to make any courtesy calls. Later, when Indira Gandhi handed over the baton to Morarji Desai, both he and Charan Singh of Janata party, who was next in line, hated her so much that they tried to put her in jail and chase her off politics.
Later, when she returned to power, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards. Her son Rajiv who took over as Prime Minister certainly looked up to his mom's advisers. However, Rajiv's successor, V. P. Singh, hated him so much that the duo had little or no interaction during the latter's 11-month rule.
Chandra Shekar who briefly ruled afterward too has had differences. But for the next PM, P.V. Narasimha Rao, his predecessor, Shekar, was a peacemaker between Congress and BJP.
Vajpayee had four friendly predecessors in his six-year rule – Shekar, Rao, Gowda and I.K. Gujral. Similarly, Singh who ruled for ten years had a thorough briefing from Vajpayee before he took charge as the PM and he cordially extended courtesies to the other three.
Despite Modi's virulent attacks on Singh during his election campaign, the man with the blue turban showed no hostility to his successor. Singh even briefed Modi on national security and nuclear issues. But this was considered as a transitional duty and it has taken Modi one year to warm up to Singh.
Given the past history of tensions, Singh may not be a frequent visitor at Panchavati. But if they reach a consensus on contentious issues, then it would be a new chapter in politics. However, hardliners in both BJP and Congress may not welcome the unusual bonhomie between Modi and Singh.
Tailpiece: In other democracies too, similar kinds of tension exists. US President Barack Obama rarely consult his four living predecessors. However, there is an exception in Russia where President Vladimir Putin's predecessor Dmitry Medvedev is the country's Prime Minister. They had the same arrangement earlier with Putin being the Prime Minister.