After Left, PM charms young MPs

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seems to have discovered the tactical advantages of having a good chef at home.

While Friday morning saw him charm his way around the till now belligerent Left leaders, Sunday lunch was spent entertaining young Congress MPs at 7, Race Course Road.

According to first-time MP from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal, the Prime Minister's charm offensive had many takers. "It was kind of him to invite us for lunch. He took the initiative and wanted to know what we thought of various issues," he said.

Jindal, who appeared reluctant to speak about the issues discussed during the lunch, said the Prime Minister spoke about initiating programmes specifically targeted at the youth.

"He appeared conscious of the fact that demographically, India has more young people than old," said Jindal.

Singh appears eager to redress the grievance that his Cabinet includes none of the "young brigade" of MPs and is peopled by many old faces.

Almost all the young MPs who attended the Sunday lunch appeared to be in the dark about why they had been invited in the first place.

"We had been sounded out much earlier that the Prime Minister wanted to invite us for lunch and probably this Sunday he could accommodate us," said Jitin Prasada, first-time MP from Shahajahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.