NEW DELHI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the ruling coalition’s “natural choice” for prime ministership after the coming elections. “If we want someone who is non-controversial then Manmohan Singh is there,” Pawar said here yesterday. “Congress as the major party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has to take a call on the leadership issue. It should decide and discuss with the allies,” said Pawar who is food and agriculture minister in the UPA government.
Pawar is the first leader of the coalition to have openly declared his support for Singh. NCP is an important component of the UPA. Pawar’s statement follows the declaration made on Saturday by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati about her aspirations for the top job.
Pawar also said that it was “too early” for Rahul Gandhi to be projected as the next prime minister.
Referring to the growing influence of regional parties, Pawar ruled out the possibility of a single-party government at the center. “In the coming elections, it will be difficult for any party to get 160-170 seats,” he said.
Ruling out the prospects of a Third Front government headed by Mayawati with the support of the left, Pawar said that such an alliance does not have much of a future. At the most they can secure 50-60 seats each, he added
Pawar said that it was important for the UPA to win the coming state assembly elections to send the right message ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
