UPA allies not too kind on Manmohan Singh

SP said he's a 'weak' PM who was "snubbed and humiliated by his own party

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed in what was ostensibly his last press conference as PM, he asserted that his government had successfully proved that Congress can run coalition governments – not one but for two terms. While Manmohan Singh was proud of this achievement, present UPA allies however were not so laudatory about the Prime Minister and his abilities at coalition management. NCP, the only ally that remains on board from UPA I era, was cautious in its appraisal of the PM terming his speech a “critical assessment” of himself while Samajwadi Party that renders outside support described Manmohan Singh as a “weak” PM who was “snubbed and humiliated by his own party.”

Manmohan Singh today replying to a question said that when UPA I was elected there were many who had misgivings whether the Congress can run a coalition government. “We showed that the congress party can run coalitions-  not one but for two terms. There have been compromises.  These compromises related to peripheral areas and not in areas that related to major national problems.”

Speaking to Business Standard NCP senior leader DP Tripathi described Singh’s speech as a “critical and introspective appraisal.” “He touched upon issues like job creation, combating corruption, controlling food inflation.” The only “unexpected” issue in the interaction, was his uncharacteristic outburst against Narendra Modi, said Tripathi which was an important “political offensive” against the BJP.

While the NCP today was cautious in its assessment, it might be recalled that in the past the NCP has not been so kind and has openly lashed out against the Congress dual power structure and demanded a political appointee as PM.

Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal speaking to Business Standard however did not mince his words and said that in the opinion of his party the SP, “Before this there has never been a Prime Minister who has been so snubbed and humiliated by his own party.  He is clearly a weak and indecisive Prime Minister.” Agarwal went so far as to suggest that this being Singh’s “farewell press conference”, it had been clear for some time now that Rahul Gandhi would now be in line for the top job and “therefore Singh was making way for him.”

A senior politician of a party that is an UPA ally did not want to be named but reiterated that “Manmohan Singh is the first PM till date who has never been directly elected.” His success at managing a two term coalition government, he attributed was more due to the fact that he was a “weak PM and thats what works in the Congress.”    

Pointing out the free run that former alliance partners like the DMK had in the Telecom ministry culminating in the 2G scam , he asserted that “Singh was weak in reigning in his allies.”

National Conference, another UPA ally’s leader Farooque Abdullah, however described Manmohan Singh as a “good Prime Minister.” Abdullah  blamed coalition politics for slow growth. “Running a coalition is not easy. We would have moved at faster speed... But coalition has these problems,” he said.

NCP is the only big ally that remains from UPA I. In the past the Left parties (in UPA I), Trinamool Congress and DMK have all quit the UPA along the way.