No fear that govt will fall: PM

Unfazed by the strident attack of crucial left allies on economic and foreign policies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said his government will
complete its full five-year term despite differences in the coalition and dismissed suggestions that he was "weak".

He also said that Sonia Gandhi has a "legitimate influence" on his government as Congress president and UPA chairperson, and the arrangement of division of work between them was functioning well.

In his second, full-fledged press conference after he took over as Prime Minister in May 2004, Singh handled with ease questions ranging from domestic political and economic issues to relations with the United States and  Pakistan, and India's stand on how it would vote in the IAEA on Iran's controversial nuclear programme tomorrow.

"We are a coalition government. There can be differences, and we will not do anything without consensus. There is no fear that the government will fall. It will run for five years," he said replying to a question about the strong opposition from the left parties that the government was deviating from the CMP on issues like disinvestment of navratna companies and the Iran vote.