Outgoing Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao has turned defeat into victory by becoming once more a formidable force in the country's uncertain political situation.
Mr Rao checkmated his opponents in Congress with ease and emerged from a day billed as his political demise with his leadership doubly vindicated.
In the afternoon, the Congress working committee, the party's highest decision-making body, reaffirmed its faith in his leadership, despite increasing demands by senior members for his removal after the worst ever electoral defeat.
A few hours later, all 135-odd newly elected MPs queued up to garland him after his unanimous re-election as leader.
To ensure there was no doubt over his leadership, Mr Rao's candidature as party parliamentary leader was proposed by Rajesh Pilot, K. Karunakarn and Sharad Pawar, the troika of senior leaders who had vociferously demanded his removal.
'They came to bury Rao but stayed to praise him,' said a political commentator.