Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose tenure has been under constant attack from BJP, today hit back saying the opposition party thought he was "weak" and would run away on being targeted but he proved them wrong.
With Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi showering praise on his ten-year-long tenure, Singh contended that the country had seen a much faster growth during UPA than what was witnessed during the NDA regime.
Replying to a question about BJP's attack on him as a "weak" Prime Minister and corruption remaining unchecked during his regime, Singh said, "The BJP attacked me because the BJP felt that I was a weak PM and that under their constant criticism, I will run away from the job that Congress has entrusted me to do."
Singh said, "I think I have proved them wrong and, therefore, there is no reason for anyone to believe that the BJP had substance in what it set out to argue."
Noting that in a developing economy, corruption cannot be wished away, the Prime Minister said that every effort has to be made to overcome these tendencies which give rise to corruption.
"The Congress party has done enerything in its power to work out a blueprint, an institutional framework where corruption is a thing of the past.
"I am confident that the next Congress government will be able to overcome whatever tendencies may have been there with regard to dealing with corruption. We will be able to overcome those difficulties and there will be a Congress government which will answer the needs and aspirations of our people," Singh said.
To a question on who will be the Prime Ministerial candidate, Sonia Gandhi said with a straight face that members of the newly elected Parliamentary Party will elect the leader and this has also been stated by Rahul Gandhi.
During the 2009 manifesto release, Sonia Gandhi had signalled that Manmohan Singh will be the party's PM candidate by covering her photograph on the manifesto cover, which also had Singh's photograph.
The 2014 manifesto of Congress has Rahul Gandhi prominently featuring on the cover page with Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh also recording their presence in small photos.
The manifesto release programme of the party was marked by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi showering encomiums on Singh.
