I'm confident people will vote for us: PM

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) In his first public comments
since undergoing heart bypass surgery about two months back,
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said he would
take part in election campaign and expressed the confidence
that his government's performance would help United
progressive Alliance (UPA) retain power.

76-year-old Singh, who has gradually started attending
official work, said he would be campaigning for Congress as
he is "alright" now.

"I am confident that the people of India will vote UPA
back to power on our performance," Singh told reporters here
on the sidelines of the defence investiture ceremony at
President House here.

This was the Prime Minister's first interaction with the
media since his heart surgery on January 24.

Asked whether he would campaign for the party, Singh
said "of course, I am alright."

Queried whom he considered the "biggest rival" in the
coming Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said "rivals
are rivals, we should not underestimate anyone."

"We have to recognise that there are opposition parties
-- the Left and the Right -- and we have to face the
challenge.

"Our party will face this challenge. We will come out
victorious," the Prime Minister said.

When referred to "cracks" in UPA over seat-sharing in
Bihar and Jharkhand, Singh sought to downplay the differences
saying "these are tensions built in our body politic. I am
confident that ultimately these will be worked out."

Asked to comment on Varun Gandhi's anti-Muslim remarks,
he said the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate "has said he has
not made these comments. If these comments are correct, then I
think they are very unfortunate."

The Prime Minister said he was looking forward to
meeeting US President Barack Obama in London when he goes to
attend the G-20 Summit. "I look forward to meeting him," he
said replying to a question.

Asked to comment on the understanding between the Taliban
and some provincial governments in Pakistan and how would it
affect India, the Prime Minister said the country has been
facing the threat of terrorism.

"We face the threat of terrorism. We should not assume
that terrorism is over. We have to be alert," Singh said.

To a question on economic meltdown, he said all countries
had "an obligation to work together to realise that recession
is thrown back and the world economy regains its momentum."

Asked by when he expected the recessionary conditions to
abate, he said "most people say that by the second half of
2009, the economy will revive. I am not an astrologer. ... But
we have to work to ensure that our economy continues to grow."

To a question on some world economies resorting to
protectionist measures, Singh said "protectionism is an enemy
of progress. We should ensure that we do not end up in a
situation" like the 1930 Great Depression.