Sonia confidence halts anti-PM move

The election results in the states and in Rae Bareli endowed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh—about to complete two years in office—with a fresh air of authority.

The election results in the states and in Rae Bareli endowed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh—about to complete two years in office—with a fresh air of authority. Enough even to perhaps view with equanimity the likely increase in Left assertion at the Centre.

The murmur within the Congress against the PM was muffled in no uncertain terms by party president Sonia Gandhi, who made her displeasure public after a signature campaign was organised to have her replace Manmohan. ‘‘This should not have happened,’’ she said, making it clear that her confidence in the prime minister was intact.

Party leader Ajit Jogi had collected signatures of 23 MPs asking Sonia to take charge. This, according to party sources, made Manmohan ‘‘extremely unhappy’’. Soon after, Sonia’s political secretary Ahmed Patel called Jogi and conveyed to him the party president’s ‘‘displeasure’’, bringing the campaign to a halt. Congress media managers were quick to proclaim the party had nothing to do with the campaign.

The PM’s opponents within the Congress have attacked him on and off for his alleged ‘‘lack of political acumen’’. Manishankar Aiyar, Arjun Singh, Natwar Singh are among those who share this view within the party. Manmohan’s liberalisation policies, Iran vote and the nuclear deal with US have also been cited as severely damaging for the party’s electoral prospects by influential groups within the party.