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Pranab Mukherjee had every right to feel grievance, was better qualified to be PM: Manmohan Singh

On Friday, former PM Manmohan Singh broke silence on being picked as Prime Minister ahead of his colleague and former President - Pranab Mukherjee. 

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Former President Pranab Mukherjee with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and DMK leader Kanimozhi at the release of his book The Coalition Years at a function in New Delhi on Friday (Bir Bahadur/DNA)
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On Friday, former PM Manmohan Singh broke silence on being picked as Prime Minister ahead of his colleague and former President - Pranab Mukherjee. 

Speaking at the book launch of the former president he called Pranab Mukherjee the ‘one of the greatest politicians living in our country’.

He was quoted saying by ANI: “Pranab Mukherjee is a politician by choice and he is one of the greatest politicians living in our country. I became a politician by accident when PV Narasimha Rao invited me to become Finance Minister.”

He added: “In 2004, Sonia ji chose me to be the Prime Minister. Pranab ji was the most distinguished colleague that I had. He had every reason to feel a grievance that he was better qualified than I was to be PM but he also knew I had no choice in matter.” Many though that Sonia Gandhi would pick Pranab Mukherjee to lead the UPA as PM.

Manmohan Singh was speaking at the launch of Pranab Mukherjee's book The Coalition Years: 1996-2012."


Mukherjee wrote in his book that after the 2004 election victory there was intense speculation in the party about who would be the prime minister, but the consensus within the Congress was that the incumbent should be a political leader with experience in party affairs and administration.
"The prevalent expectation was that I would be the next choice for prime minister after Sonia Gandhi declined. This expectation was possibly based on the fact that I had extensive experience in government," he wrote.

Mukherjee also said that when he declined to join the government headed by Manmohan Singh, Sonia insisted on his being a part of it as he would be "vital to its functioning and also be of support of Singh".
Mukherjee, in his speech at the book release function, decribed the Congress as a coalition in itself, as it brings all ideas on one platform.

"It was difficult to have one coalition within and another outside. But that was done," he said.
Mukherjee said in the book he has described the coalition years and tried not to bring in any personal matters. He said running the coalition government seemed difficult but everything worked out smoothly.
 

Mukherjee said in writing the book about the coalition years of 1996 to 2012, he did not claim the objectivity of a historian, which he is not, but put down things while viewing them as a political activist.
Singh said with their relation smoothened, they ran the government as a cohesive team. He said history would record Mukherjee's great contribution to the management of Indian polity.

The former prime minister described Mukherjee as the "most distinguished living parliamentarian and Congressman", whom everyone in the party looked up to for discussing and resolving ticklish and difficult issues.
"He is a politician by choice. He is the greatest politician living in the country. I became a politician by accident when P V Narasimha Rao asked me to become the finance minister," he said.

Singh described Mukherjee and NCP chief Sharad Pawar as respected senior members of his government both of whom were of great calibre. He said if the UPA government ran smoothly, a large measure of credit would go to Pranab Mukherjee.

While Sonia Gandhi and Rahul did not speak nor sit on the dais, a number of leaders including CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI Secretary Sudhakar Reddy, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and DMK leader Kanimozhi spoke.
 

Akhilesh Yadav, in his brief speech, said Mukherjee's book would come in handy for young politicians like him when elections are due just like good notes ahead of exams.
He also said people look forward to another coalition as elections draw closer. Akhilesh, who was recently re- elected the SP president, said people earlier dealt with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav but would now deal with him.
Yechury said Pranab Mukherjee has an "elephant-like memory", remark that prompted Sonia Gandhi to quip he had the memory of "two elephants". 

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