By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday he had doubts whether the Congress would win a working majority in the April-May 2009 general elections.
“Well, the honest answer is that I was doubtful whether we will have a working majority,” he said, answering a question at the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2009 awards function here.
Asked if the election victory was the “biggest moment” for him, the prime minister said that he would have taken any outcome in his stride.
“I am not overpleased with success nor despondent with not so-successful outcomes,” he said.
Asked about Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was awarded Indian of the Year in the politics category, Manmohan Singh said the youth leader had more than fulfilled expectations that the party had from him.
“He has more than fulfilled expectations… The best is yet to come,” he said.
Gandhi was not present at the ceremony to receive the award as he was touring Bundelkhand region and was to spend the night at a Dalit’s house in Jhansi district.
He, however, sent a message of acceptance, saying he was privileged to be among the dignitaries who too were honoured at the function and “were much more deserving than me”.
The prime minister said he had tried to get Rahul Gandhi many times in the cabinet but had not succeeded and he would be more than happy to have the young leader as his colleague.
Agreeing that 2009 was a remarkable year for the country, he said the rest of the world had gone through severe recession while India continued to be the second fastest-growing economy and had proved the prophets of doom wrong.
Manmohan Singh agreed it was apt to have a economist as prime minister at a time of recession.
“You’re right,” he said.