George Fernandes with wife Leila Kabir at Parliament House earlier this week. (PTI)

New Delhi, Aug. 8: George Fernandes is not in the best of health but his wife is behind him — personally and politically.

Leila Kabir Fernandes wants the “rapprochement” between the infirm Emergency lion and his party to remain safe from his “close political aides” who she said misled him into contesting the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent.

But come October, she may not be just passively supporting her husband, who earlier this week took oath as Rajya Sabha member, a few months after being denied a ticket by the Janata Dal (United) for the parliamentary elections.

“I am a vehicle that could have been put to better use,” she said yesterday, hinting that she wasn’t disinterested in politics. “It is only that I am fiercely independent and have been against the concept of dynasty.”

Daughter of former Union minister Humayun Kabir, Leila grew up in a political family and feels she symbolises Hindu-Muslim unity.

Earlier, in March this year, Leila had told Nitish Kumar in a letter that she wasn’t in favour of George contesting the elections because he was unfit.

Before leaving for America recently for the annaprashan (rice ceremony) of “our (hers and George’s) grandson”, she spoke to both Kumar and Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav voicing fears about attempts to create another rift between her husband and the party.

Leila said in a media release yesterday that concerted efforts had been made by her husband’s political aides since 2002 to create a serious rift between him and the Dal (U).

“(But) Nitish Kumar, overlooking the past, has renewed the JD(U) bond with George, whom he considers his mentor,” she wrote.

Later, she said the same close aides of her husband now did not want him to continue in the House of elders.

She also wrote that The Otherside, a pamphlet which carries the article “From the Pen of George Fernandes”, should be watched carefully. “It would be most unfortunate if an opinion is expressed in that column that could damage the current rapprochement between George and the JD(U),” the release said.

In the release, Leila also attributed George’s selection for the Rajya Sabha to Kumar’s “magnanimity”.

George has been infirm over the past few years and had difficulty taking oath in the Rajya Sabha. Party general secretary Shivanand Tiwari had to support him physically.

Outside Parliament, however, it was Leila firmly behind him.

But come October, by when she would be back from America, she might be playing a bigger role.