PM takes on Advani at Cong manifesto release

New Delhi: The battle for supremacy in the 15th Lok Sabha elections is heating up and now it is directly between the soft spoken Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate LK Advani.

Nearly two months after his coronary bypass surgery, the Prime Minister was at one of his major public functions on Tuesday where the Congress manifesto was released.

At the release of the manifesto, Congress made two things clear - Manmohan was the king and the enemy No. 1 was still the BJP. It was also the perfect platform to take on Advani.

"Congress party candidate for prime ministership is Dr Manmohan Singhji," said Sonia while hiding her picture in manifesto.

With those words Sonia ended all speculation about who is her choice for prime ministership.

Buoyed with that confidence, the Prime Minister swung into action taking on Advani.

"When I look at the record of Mr. Advani all I can discover is the prominent role he played in the destruction of Babri Mosque. What else has he done afterwards as a contribution to national welfare," said a combative Manmohan Singh.

For the last one year the battle between the Prime Minister and the PM-in-waiting has become extremely bitter and personalised.

Just after the July 22, 2008, trust vote, Manmohan had hit out at Advani accusing him of being a man in a hurry.

Advani was quick to react to Manmohan's barbs.

"I have seen all the prime ministers of India since the time of Pandit Nehru from very close quarters and I have never seen such a weak Prime Minister," Advani had said.

But Manmohan's statements on Tuesday have also made it clear that for the Congress it is the BJP and not the Third Front which is enemy No. 1.

So for the moment, the Third Front was a recipe for chaos and the Left's politics regressive.

It is a different matter that ideology will give way for pragmatism post the elections when it comes to government formation.

Usually the name for the top job within the Congress has always been declared after the elections. But this time Sonia has already said that Singh will be King.

It's a well thought out strategy intended to end speculation about Rahul Gandhi and also to curb ambitions within the party.

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