Manmohan Singh only PM candidate with proven ability: Sonia

Animesh Singh

Hisar (Haryana), April 30 (PTI) Ridiculing the
numerous aspirants for India's Prime Minister from other
parties, Sonia Gandhi Thursday claimed that only Congress had
an able candidate for the top post in Manmohan Singh who had
proved his calibre during his five-year stint.

"It has become a fashion for many parties to nominate
prime ministerial candidates.... Everybody is busy playing 'I
will be the Prime Minister'. We are not like others. We have
an able prime minister in Manmohan Singh," Gandhi said, while
addressing a 20,000-strong rally here in northern state of
Haryana.

Highlighting the achievements of the UPA government,
she said that Congress-led dispensation had fulfilled majority
of the promises it had made in 2004 and pointed to the farm
loan waiver and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(NREGA) for generating employment in the rural areas.

"Our policies have always been for the benefit of aam
admi and our endeavour is to provide a stable government. It
has become a fashion by many parties to nominate prime
ministerial candidates," Gandhi said.

She claimed that only the Congress can provide a
stable government under Manmohan Singh, who was an experienced
person.

Attacking the previous BJP-led NDA government, Gandhi
described its rule as "an era of darkness" and alleged that it
had failed the common man.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in the "politics of
hatred and division", she hit out at the saffron party for
"not having matched" its claims of decisive government with
action when it was in power.

"NDA regime was a period of darkness for the country,
when there was no internal security and the government
belied the expectations of the people. The common man punished
them in 2004 by voting the UPA to power and since then we have
been trying our best to fulfilling the dreams of Indira ji and
Rajiv ji," Sonia said.

The UPA chairperson said that if the Congress-led
coalition came back to power it would continue its focus on
the welfare of women, children and youth for whom it had
already started various schemes.

She said terrorism and extremism posed a grave threat
to the country. "Only Congress party is capable of leading the
country at this difficult junction on the strength of its long
experience in the power", she said.

She also said that Haryana, which is one of the
developed states of the country, has and will continue to play
an important role in national politics.

Appreciating the work done by Chief Minister Bhupinder
Hooda, who was present on the occasion, Gandhi said that the
Congress government in the state had tried its best to fulfill
its promises made to to the people.

Chief Minister's son Deepinder Hooda, who is seeking
re-election from Rohtak constituency, sitting MP from Hisar
Jai Prakash, and other senior Congress leaders from the State
were also present in the rally. PTI