Senior — and sidelined — Congress leader Govindrao Adik has come up with a formula, which political pundits may just envy for not having thought of themselves. Adik's formula suggests that NCP chief Sharad Pawar be made prime minister and Rahul Gandhi be put under his tutelage. Either Adik is asking for trouble, or he feels it will please all.

In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said, "I request you to merge NCP into Congress. The responsibility of leading the government could be handed over to Pawar."

A former minister and a one-time confidante of Pawar, Adik also suggested that Gandhi "can continue" as AICC president and guide the organisation. Adik said, "Pawar is a staunch believer of Congress philosophy and the Nehru-Gandhi ideology." On Rahul Gandhi, his suggestion is: "He can be trained under Pawar's guidance for some years before taking on the prime ministership."

In the 80s, the friendship of Pawar and Adik was a common knowledge. However, their relations soured in mid-1990s. Notwithstanding this, Adik still believes Pawar remains the unchallenged leader of Maharashtra. A close aide of Adik said, "He is drawn towards Pawar because the Congress has insulted him several times. They promised to make him MPCC chief and a minister. The promises made by the AICC were not honoured." Adik's letter is seen as a step forward to distance himself from Congress and embracing NCP.

Shubhangi Khapre/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication