So, BJP leader LK Advani's Prime Ministerial dream appears to have come to an end. The RSS has stymied the grand old patriarch's ambitions. That's the way things stand at present.
However one can clearly see that Advani still wants to be PM. He hasn't given up that dream yet. Just last month ago we found him thundering in Parliament, daring the government to arrest him in the cash-for-votes scam.
Now he is going to undertake a rath yatra against corruption. One must admire Advani's health and energy levels at this age. But it is possible that Advani has merely appeased the RSS for the moment to make sure his yatra gets full support.
For one, the RSS will not be the only voice in the NDA coalition if it should come to power. It is quite difficult to tell who will emerge as a compromise candidate.
Secondly with the way this government is getting mired in more and more controversies, there is still an outside chance for a mid-term election.
In 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru was the first choice for Prime Minister. Many saw Lal Bahadur Shastri as his natural successor. Indira Gandhi was just 48 when she became PM.
But after that, the dice has been loaded in favour of retirees and rank outsiders becoming premiers. The country's most coveted post has mostly come in the autumn of and not the prime of one's career.
A look at the golden oldies, who like Advani, came back from the brink to lead the nation…
