The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government. As India follows a Parliamentary System of government, which is modeled after that of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is generally the leader of a party (or coalition of parties) that can gain a majority in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the Parliament of India. The Prime Minister has effective responsibility for efficient performance of government. The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the cabinet in the Indian Government. The post is not a constitutional post and seldom carries any specific powers. Generally a Deputy Prime Minister also holds other key portfolios like Home or Finance. Though the Indian Constitution does not specify the position and with the Prime Minister himself being treated as "first among equals" in the cabinet, the position of Deputy Prime Minister is sometimes used by governments to bring political stability and strength by including a powerful individual in the cabinet. The Deputy Prime Minister in reality has no power except chairing the Cabinet meetings in the absence of the Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister takes the same level of responsibility only if the Prime Minister is taken ill seriously or he is incapacitated or he is dead while in office. Here an effort is made to present the autographs of all Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers of India. |