24 May 2004	Monday	04 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

NEW DELHI: Just a few weeks ago Atal Behari Vajpayee was criss-crossing India boasting at election rallies of how the country was "shining" under his rule.

But on Saturday the 79-year-old poet-turned prime minister pensively watched opposition Congress leader Manmohan Singh, 71, being sworn in as his replacement, under the glittering chandeliers and colonial regalia of the sprawling presidential palace.

What went horribly wrong for Vajpayee, went terribly right for Singh. Since the announcement of elections results on May 13, Vajpayee has barely uttered a word in public.

Analysts and party sources say the veteran politician, who had declared these would be his last elections, is angry and upset. "He's angry with his party for not listening to his views," said analyst Yashwant Deshmukh.

So bitter is Vajpayee that he is resisting his party's plea to become the leader of the opposition. According to Deshmukh, there are many reasons for Vajpayee's anger, first and foremost being his party's refusal to listen to his advice not to bring the polls forward.

The elections had been scheduled for October but were brought forward to April/May on an assessment by Vajpayee's BJP that the prospects of winning with an early poll were better.

"Vajpayee really wanted to complete his five years," Deshmukh said. "He was absolutely sure of victory at the end of his tenure. He wanted to do so much more but his colleagues, particularly deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, prevailed on him."

Secondly, Vajpayee disagreed with the snapping of ties by the BJP with the regional DMK party in southern Tamil Nadu state and allying instead with its rival, the AIADMK party.

The results proved Vajpayee correct - a total rout of the AIADMK-BJP combine, significantly lowering the strength of Vajpayee's coalition. Even though attacks on Sonia Gandhi's foreign origins had been part of the BJP's electioneering, the rhetoric grew more bitter - and more churlish - when it seemed apparent about a week ago that Gandhi, would become prime minister.

Amid the high drama, Gandhi turned down the prime ministership, citing her "inner voice" which she said had compelled her not to take up the top job. The BJP was stunned into silence.

"This was the final nail in the coffin," Deshmukh said. Analysts wonder what his next move will be. "Ideally, he should have resigned from his MP's post and gone back to poetry," said Deshmukh. "Why has he not resigned is bewildering. There's something on his mind." -AFP