As UPA-2 completes a year in power, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has metamorphosed into a smart politician who is firmly in the saddle and completely in command.
On Monday, it was the consummate politician and not a veteran bureaucrat who deftly tackled tricky questions thrown at him by the media, ranging from his retirement, his reported differences with the UPA chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, allegations against the allies and bickering in the Cabinet.
Glimpses of Dr Singh’s transformation from a disciplined bureaucrat to a canny leader had flashed past during the no-trust move against UPA-1. After Monday’s press meet, it became evident that he was no longer the “reluctant politician”, a term that he chose to describe himself two years ago.
The soft-spoken leader has accomplished what his oratorical predecessor, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, could not do. He successfully completed his first term in power and continues to be at the helm of affairs even in the second term.
And his confidence could be gauged from the way he handled the lengthy media conference on Monday (something which “political” Prime Ministers don’t usually dare to), revealing his thoughts on price rise, Maoist violence, the spectrum issue and foot-in-the-mouth ministers, to name a few ticklish subjects.
There was no chest-thumping and he termed the first year of UPA-2 a period of “reasonable achievement” with “room for achievement and better outcomes”. He agreed that “price rise continue to be a matter of deep concern”.
At the same time, he deftly played down the differences between his ministers and added that policy matters be better discussed inside the Cabinet rather than outside. It was a loud and clear message that there would be zero tolerance for those who cross the line.
Interestingly, he trod the middle path when asked about his future. While saying that he would not retire till he accomplished “unfinished tasks”, Dr Singh also indicated that he was willing to make way for the “younger generation, if the party so desires”. It was carefully balanced, leaving the Congress happy and the Opposition wringing its hands.
The Prime Minister had to reply on the controversies surrounding the DMK telecommunication minister, Mr A. Raja, on the spectrum issue which has much to do with the arithmetic in the Lok Sabha. So he restricted himself to assuring that “corruption would be dealt with at any level”.
Despite facing much criticism, he also reiterated his belief on the need to have the best possible relations with Pakistan, but added the rider that the neighbour had to ensure that it “will not allow its soil to be used for terrorism”.
And for once, the mission oriented-bureaucrat came to the surface when asked about the legacy he would leave behind. “I have a task to accomplish. It is for the historians to pronounce judgments.” Vintage Manmohan Singh.