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Sonia says MMA will 'certainly' be
candidate for top job again
UPA's move may divide the Sikh community once again over whether to
back it
WSN Bureau
 New
Delhi: In what could help Congress possibly get a lot of Sikh votes,
and is likely to once again start a debate within the community
about whether to back the party for making a Sikh a Prime
Ministerial candidate yet again, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has
said that Manmohan Singh would "certainly" be the candidate for the
hot seat in India once again.
Manmohan Singh
moved into the PMO after the 2004 polls as a wild card entry but
with the latest comment from Sonia Gandhi, he could be hopeful of
being projected as Congress’s choice for the top office in the
coming polls. He displayed his optimism here on Friday while
responding to queries from reporters in the presence of party chief
Sonia Gandhi after the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Congress
headquarters.
Singh was asked
whether he expected to be declared Congress’s prime ministerial
candidate for the next general elections. “Hopefully,” Singh, with
Sonia Gandhi by his side, remarked, according to agency reports.
Earlier, Sonia showed her continued support to Singh. “Why not,
certainly,” she said when the same question was put to her.
Her remark, even
if in response to a query from reporters, is significant in view of
the growing speculation that the stage is being set for Rahul Gandhi
to take over the baton from Singh. It can be seen as suggesting that
the widely anticipated succession may not take place immediately,
with the Congress leadership, assuming that the party gets the
numbers to lead the next non-BJP coalition at the Centre, preferring
to continue with Singh for a while.
Meanwhile,
Congresswatchers were quick to note that Singh did not limit himself
to the pro forma “it is for the Congress leadership to decide”
response — the default option for Congressmen aspiring for key
positions.
Singh surprised
his colleagues and rivals by getting a reluctant Congress leadership
to engage the Left and the opposition in a regime-threatening
confrontation over the nuclear deal. He took the initiative to reach
out to the Samajwadi Party, disregarding its adversarial ties with
Congress as well as the controversial reputation of some of the
Samajwadis, to make up for the loss of Left’s support. And he had
been unfazed by the widespread allegations that the government
prevailed in the trust vote only with the help of corrupt means.
Sonia’s
preference for him and Singh’s own desire for another term should
disappoint those of his colleagues who chaffe at having to work
under him despite being senior to him in Congress by decades.
However, allies like NCP boss Sharad Pawar may feel happy.
20 August, 2008
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