Editorial, The Statesman, 28 June, 2000

One must admire his persistence. He is a non- entity, universally ignored, his offers designed to get him back some place in the sun have yielded nothing and short of filling a seat at important functions reserved for former Prime Ministers he has nothing to do. His attempts to lead a third front have been met by three other former Prime Ministers who each thinks he can do better ... This man continues in a manner so brazen as to evoke admiration for retaining hope over experience.

(Chandrashekhar) has tried everything, from offering to head a new coalition to defeat the saffron brigade, leading a third front equidistant from the BJP and the Congress to joining the Congress on honourable terms, to declaring his willingness to join his sworn enemy the RSS and their Swadeshi Manch. He does not even have Sancho Panza otherwise he could offer to play Do Quixote on stage. Pity the man whose time was limited and has passed long ago. Alternatively he could bur himself at Bhondsi and send out e-mails to all and suddenly who need a leader without a cause, a general without at army, a man who has lost his bearings and wanders about aimlessly ...