For a whopping 56/70 years, or 80% of the time, the direct or de facto ruler of India has been spouseless…

Rulers without a spouse…

Jawaharlal Nehru, widower: 1947-64.

Indira Gandhi, widow: 1966-77, 80-84.

PV Narasimha Rao, widower: 1991-96.

AB Vajpayee, bachelor: 1998-2004.

Sonia Gandhi, widow: 2004-14.

Narendra Modi, single: 2014-__.

(So Pappu has a good chance of getting elected in 2024 or 2029 if he doesn’t get married by then.)

Other high profile single politicians post-2000…

Late President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Ex Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

Water Minister Ex Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati.

Goa Chief Minister and ex-Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is a widower.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is a widower.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is a divorcee.