A decision debated

• We hear that Sonia Gandhi declined the prime minister’s post on hearing her “inner voice”. But there is one question. Why did she not do this when she was elected leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party?

— Deepak K. Vidhyarthi Muzaffarnagar

• Sonia Gandhi’s decision to step down as leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party is not politics but an instance of Indian culture being held in high esteem. As she has declined to take up the office of PM, it is her masterstroke which has raised her moral stature. Through this extraordinary act she has disarmed her political rivals of the only weapon (the foreign origin Issue) they were hoping to use against her.

— K.L. Batra On e-mail

Two good men

• It is a great honour that such a learned and dedicated citizen is occupying the post of prime minister (‘Manmohan returned my call past 11 pm, he praised my work, said he will carry it forward’, IE, May 21). More important is that both the outgoing and incoming prime ministers respect each other’s work. May God give wisdom to all political parties to support the new prime minister for the benefit of the country.

— Shashin Rastogi On e-mail

Musical chairs

• Dr Manmohan Singh’s path to 7 Race Course Road is already paved with political potholes. Leaders like Laloo Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and M. Karunanidhi are bound to extract their pound of flesh for supporting his government (‘After Kaun Banega PM, it’s Kaun Benenge Mantri’, IE, May 21). It will be a test of Singh’s political acumen and tact. — Mayank Kedia On e-mail Left out n IN the unexpectedly changed scenario, the Left parties have suddenly found themselves at the centerstage. When the spotlight is on them they should not be shying away from the responsibility of sharing power at the Centre. With more than 10 per cent of the total number of members in the 14th Lok Sabha, they should honour the verdict.

— R.L. Raichandani On e-mail

• Some political parties have been making all the wrong noises after the results of the general elections. Instead of using their mandate for helping the Congress form a stable government at the Centre, the Leftists have criticised the disinvestment and economic policies initiated by the previous ministry, that not only sent the stock markets into a tizzy but also affected the rupee’s value. Instead of trying to analyse the reasons for its shock defeat and offering full cooperation to the new government, the BJP is creating a big hullabaloo about Sonia Gandhi.
In a fractured mandate like this, it becomes the collective responsibility of political parties to come together on a common platform and provide a stable government at the Centre, which, sadly, does not seem to be the case today.

—V. Rajesh On e-mail