PM hints at being open to support from Left
“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh said on Monday when asked on whether he missed the “structured” support of the Left parties during the second stint of the UPA.
However, he felt that it was for the “like-minded parties to care for the well being of society.” Sending signals that he was open to support from all like minded outfits, he said: “Come and join us for sustained, inclusive, equitable development.”
With regard to allies, the Prime Minister claimed that the “UPA and all it’s constituents are united in their commitment to provide the country with a strong and purposeful government that can deliver on it’s agenda of growth, reform and empowerment.”
However, in the UPA-II there continues to be pulls and pressure and some allies giving preference to their personal, political agenda rather than working as a cohesive force.
When referred to some ministers involved with cricket and IPL (read agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar) and running her ministry from Bengal (Railway minister, Mamata Banerjee). The Prime Minister said that certain issues which are between him and his ministers “Should not be discussed in broad daylight.”
On the other hand, the Left parties, particularly the CPI(M) chose to criticise the first year of the UPA-II.
The CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the Prime Minister’s press conference was “all declaration of intent” and there was nothing really very specific about issues agitating the people.
The CPI national secretary D. Raja said the first year of UPA-II was “of failure and disappointment”. Mr Raja said that the Prime Minister was talking like “an astrologer” but depending on market forces to rein in price rise.
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