Janata Dal rejected the proposal of being Prime Minister. He suggested that Basu should be made the Prime Minister of the United Front government. RJD's chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also supported the proposal. The CPI also supported the proposal. The proposal was taken to CPI(M) by former CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet. The Polit Bureau of CPI(M) met in a meeting. But having no conclusion due to differences, it forwarded the issue to the Central Committee after a voting. Through a meeting in Central Committee on May 14, CPI(M) declined the offer saying the party was still not in a position to dictate its policies and would not be able to get them implemented by a coalition government. They also stated that it would involve joining hands with “bourgeois” outfits like the Congress. Sitaram Yechuri was among the leaders who were against Basu being the Prime Minister. When Surjeet conveyed this to United Front leaders, V. P. Singh again suggested that the CPI(M) should reconsider the decision. From Tamil Nadu House, Surjeet called Prakash Karat to tell leaders to stay back for an emergency meeting. But the Central Committee again turned down that offer. After Basu, the names of late G. K. Moopanar and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi came over but Basu suggested H. D. Deve Gowda for the top post citing his experience as a minister first and Chief Minister of Karnataka and Janata Dal accepted the offer and he was elected as the Prime Minister of India. H.D Deve Gowda personally wrote a letter to Jyoti Basu to be the prime minister which Basu declined again due to party choices. In 1999, the BJP Government by Atal Bihari Vajpayee fell down. Leaders of third front including Mulayam Singh Yadav and others again suggested Jyoti Basu. This time CPI(M) eventually agreed to the proposal. But INC declined. Later when asked about the decision of the CPI(M), Jyoti Basu stated that as a "historic blunder". In the words of Basu, "yes, I still think that it was a historic blunder because such an opportunity does not come. History does not give such an opportunity." Noted Congress politician Arjun Singh was also upset due to the CPI(M)'s decision. The CPI said that Jyoti Basu as Prime Minister was ‘worth-trying’. Later life Post–resignation (2000–2010) The 18th congress of CPI(M), held in Delhi in 2005, re-elected Basu to its Politburo, although he