Reforms guru Manmohan treads road of politics with caution

What8217;s more important, he says, is that It8217;s been a great learning experience 8212; seeing people in their own homes and their real surroundings.8217; In order to keep his date with the electorate every morning and evening, he is giving the high-powered CWC and CEC meetings a miss.

How can I go? These meetings happen at short notices. My voters will be annoyed if I don8217;t turn up after fixing a time with them,8217; he explains, agreeing that he is rather new to it.

Beginning his day with a report of trouble from the South, Singh reads out from a newspaper that there was a huge gathering at Sonia Gandhi8217;s Villupuram rally which Jayalalitha ditched. However, he refuses to get diverted by the news.

Back to Delhi politics, he says: I8217;m fully acquainted with Delhi8217;s problems as chairman of the sixth and the seventh Planning Commission. And I have lived here long enough.8217;

Almost to prove his point, Singh does not budge an inch from the local issues. Whether in front of the old gurdwara in Subas Nagar or standing on a makeshift wooden plank under a peepal tree in Beriwala Bagh, Singh only talks about Delhi8217;s problems 8212; shortage of power/drinking water and road congestion, lack of urban transportation and health care.

Do not have any doubts whether I will forget the problems of my constituency. I will fight with the government of India on these issues,8217; Singh tells the impromptu gathering of voters. The senior Seva Dal activist who is assigned to assist Singh8217;s maiden Lok Sabha venture finds it difficult to suppress a slight irritation, I8217;ve never seen an election being fought with so little money.8217;

Asked about his campaign strategy, Singh refuses to acknowledge there is any: Our8217;s is a inclusive rather than an exclusive strategy. The BJP fudged in their manifesto. They8217;ve contradicted themselves. It is the Congress which started the economic reforms package. It would be better the Congress carries it through.8217;

Outlining the voter-friendly line, he says: There8217;s a need to rationalise the prices of essential commodities, streamline the taxation and correct the fiscal system, otherwise the gains will be short-lived.8217;

Denying that there8217;s any ambiguity on the Congress stand on coalitions he says: In this LS election we expect the people to vote on coalition politics. We are going to the polls on our own as a single party. Mrs Sonia Gandhi has made it clear that we will prefer to sit in the Opposition if there is no clear majority.8217;

Jostled around by eager local supporters and voters, Singh makes the victory sign before hopping on to the open Maruti Gypsy a local corporator has provided.

I8217;m only a candidate of the South Delhi constituency. The elected Congress MPs will select their leader or Prime Minister when the time comes,8217; says Singh, back to take a short break before he hits the dust and din of the second half of the campaign.