IT is common knowledge that there is no love lost between Atal Behari Vajpayee and Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, whom Jayalalitha desperately wanted as finance minister of a BJP-led government. But few are aware of Swamy's autobiography serialised in the Tamil weekly Kumudham, where he has poured venom and vitriol on Vajpayee and cast aspersions on his private life. The serial titled Swami and Friends—a Few Enemies Too was published in early 1997. Here are some excerpts from the magazine which explain why Vajpayee "cannot stand the sight of Swamy":

Issue dated February 20, 1997

WHEN the Morarji Desai-led Janata government came to power by defeating the Congress, many expected that I would get a cabinet berth for my outstanding resistance to the Emergency. But, Atal Behari Vajpayee interfered and spoiled it. Just to get out of the prison on parole, Vajpayee had given a letter of apology to Indira Gandhi and had created a bad precedence. But he had the 91 MPs of the Jan Sangh under his control. He could not stomach the fame I...