Indian PM tells media he's no lame duck in image revamp effort

GlobalPost
The World

Speaking to a select group of news editors Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dismissed speculation that he's a lame duck and said he was ready to submit to the scrutiny of a proposed ombudsman's office -- even though his cabinet and party colleagues oppose it.

In the first of several planned fireside chats with influential editors, Singh also deflected criticism that he answers too readily to Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, who some say rules India "by remote control."

"I have got maximum cooperation from Sonia Gandhi who has done a superb job as Congress president," the Times of India quoted Singh as saying.

According to MoneyControl.com, Singh told the editors of the five selected organizations that he was ready to make his office subject to monitoring under a proposed "Lokpal" or ombudsman, but cabinet members and allies still oppose the idea.

In regard to various informal calls for Rahul Gandhi to take the reins -- including a statement by Congress Party general secretary Digvijay Singh -- the PM said he was open to the idea of Rahul succeeding him in the nation's top office, but the party had not held any discussions about that possibility, said the Indian Express.

All in all, though, it was pretty thin gruel for a talk billed as the first move in a drive to save the PM's image and rescue his United Progressive Alliance government from constant attacks from all sides.

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