New Delhi, Dec 22: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday once again expressed his keenness to have Rahul Gandhi in his Cabinet.
“I have tried many times but not succeeded,” Dr. Singh said to a question whether he would like to have Mr. Gandhi in his Council of Ministers. “I will be very happy to have him in the ministry,” he said in response to a question.
“Politician of the Year”
Dr. Singh was speaking at an award presentation function organised by the in which Mr. Gandhi was adjudged the “Politician of the Year” for “energising” the Congress and being the key strategist behind the party’s revival in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Gandhi was not present to receive the award from Dr. Singh and in his message said he was in Uttar Pradesh for a prior engagement. The young leader had earlier refused to join the Cabinet insisting that he preferred party work.
Praising Mr. Gandhi, Dr. Singh said: “He has more than fulfilled the expectations we had but the best is yet to come.”
To another question whether he had expected the Congress to get a comfortable majority in the May Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said: “I was doubtful….”
To a query whether the 2009 victory was the biggest moment in his life, Dr. Singh said he took things in his stride.
“Remarkable year”
Describing 2009 as a “remarkable year,” Dr. Singh said when the rest of the world was going through recession, India had proved the prophets of doom wrong.
Asked in a lighter vein whether a Professor-economist Prime Minister was good for the country in such times, Dr. Singh said: “You are right.”
–Agencies