India repeatedly swears by democracy but we forget how undemocratically we selected our first Prime Minister. Of the 16 Pradesh Congress Committees across the country, 15 opted for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while one chose Acharya J B Kripalani. This book asks the pertinent question, what if Sardar Patel had been India’s first Prime Minister? Would India’s political and development trajectories be different It also discusses Patel’s thoughts on Partition and the East Bengal problem that finally led to the formation of Bangladesh. His views on independent Princely states, on China and Communists and his views on planning and economic outlook are also explored. The ifs and buts of history are of course debatable. But was this a decision that changed the destiny of a nation and its people.