India News
Indian Prime Minister Won't Seek Third Term
Manmohan Singh to Step Down After Spring Elections
Jan. 3, 2014 1:07 a.m. ET
NEW DELHI—India's prime minister, Manmohan
Singh, said he would step down after elections this spring even if his
party wins, signaling a leadership change in the world's largest
democracy.
The prime minister's party, the ruling Congress party, has seen its popularity plummet in recent years as it wrestled with corruption scandals, food inflation, an economic slowdown and growing concerns about the safety of women in the country.
The 81-year-old Mr. Singh—who with close to two terms under his belt is India's longest-serving prime minister in three decades—told a rare news conference that he was ready to make way for new leaders as the country heads toward national elections scheduled before the end of May.
Most political analysts weren't surprised by Mr. Singh's decision, as it has been widely expected he would step aside.
"We are entering an election season where Manmohan Singh will be completely irrelevant," said Ashok Malik, a Delhi-based political analyst. "This was essentially just his farewell message."
Mr. Singh's unexpected ascent to power in 2004 came after Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, who is the widow and daughter-in-law of former prime ministers, refused to take the position herself.
The prime minister Friday seemed to be passing the baton back to the Gandhi family. He declared his support for Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice president and Mrs. Gandhi's son, as prime minister.
"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials," Mr. Singh said. "I hope the party will take the decision at the appropriate time."
Who the beleaguered Congress party chooses as its top candidate may not matter, political analysts said—several opinion polls have shown the main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, and its prime-ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, could have enough momentum to sweep into power this year.
The Congress party's embarrassing losses in four state elections last month, which were worse than expected, point to a growth anti-incumbency movement in the country, political analysts said.
Mr. Singh on Friday set out a performance report of his decade in office. He mentioned his government's achievements, including rising rural incomes, new food-security and anticorruption laws, and better education opportunities. He also touched on the economic slowdown that India has been suffering through over the past two years.
"Over the past decade, we have been through many ups and downs," he said.
The same can be said of his political journey.
When he first became prime minister, he was widely regarded as a different breed of leader. A mild-mannered person and well-respected economist, Mr. Singh widely is credited as one of the most important architects of India's economic changes in the early 1990s. His squeaky-clean image made him an attractive candidate to steer India's rising economy.
But in recent years, he has come to symbolize a weak and ineffectual government. He has been dogged by allegations of corruption and blamed for his government's so-called policy paralysis.
Opposition politicians have sought to
juxtapose the charismatic Mr. Modi against the quiet Mr. Singh,
projecting the BJP leader as a strong, decisive administrator.
Mr. Singh has "admitted his government failed to curb corruption, check unemployment and contain inflation," said Arun Jaitley, a senior BJP leader, in a news conference Friday. "Put together, it points to the fact that the government has been totally unsuccessful."
On Friday, Mr. Singh said it would be "disastrous" if Mr. Modi came to power, making a reference to Mr. Modi's inability to contain 2002 religious riots in the western state of Gujarat, where the BJP leader serves as chief minister. Mr. Singh accused Mr. Modi of presiding over the "mass massacre of innocent citizens in the streets."
Mr. Modi denies all allegations, and investigations have turned up no evidence to prosecute him.
Write to Niharika Mandhana at niharika.mandhana@wsj.com and Rajesh Roy at rajesh.roy@wsj.com
The prime minister's party, the ruling Congress party, has seen its popularity plummet in recent years as it wrestled with corruption scandals, food inflation, an economic slowdown and growing concerns about the safety of women in the country.
The 81-year-old Mr. Singh—who with close to two terms under his belt is India's longest-serving prime minister in three decades—told a rare news conference that he was ready to make way for new leaders as the country heads toward national elections scheduled before the end of May.
Most political analysts weren't surprised by Mr. Singh's decision, as it has been widely expected he would step aside.
"We are entering an election season where Manmohan Singh will be completely irrelevant," said Ashok Malik, a Delhi-based political analyst. "This was essentially just his farewell message."
Mr. Singh's unexpected ascent to power in 2004 came after Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, who is the widow and daughter-in-law of former prime ministers, refused to take the position herself.
The prime minister Friday seemed to be passing the baton back to the Gandhi family. He declared his support for Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice president and Mrs. Gandhi's son, as prime minister.
"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials," Mr. Singh said. "I hope the party will take the decision at the appropriate time."
Who the beleaguered Congress party chooses as its top candidate may not matter, political analysts said—several opinion polls have shown the main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, and its prime-ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, could have enough momentum to sweep into power this year.
The Congress party's embarrassing losses in four state elections last month, which were worse than expected, point to a growth anti-incumbency movement in the country, political analysts said.
Mr. Singh on Friday set out a performance report of his decade in office. He mentioned his government's achievements, including rising rural incomes, new food-security and anticorruption laws, and better education opportunities. He also touched on the economic slowdown that India has been suffering through over the past two years.
"Over the past decade, we have been through many ups and downs," he said.
The same can be said of his political journey.
When he first became prime minister, he was widely regarded as a different breed of leader. A mild-mannered person and well-respected economist, Mr. Singh widely is credited as one of the most important architects of India's economic changes in the early 1990s. His squeaky-clean image made him an attractive candidate to steer India's rising economy.
But in recent years, he has come to symbolize a weak and ineffectual government. He has been dogged by allegations of corruption and blamed for his government's so-called policy paralysis.
Mr. Singh has "admitted his government failed to curb corruption, check unemployment and contain inflation," said Arun Jaitley, a senior BJP leader, in a news conference Friday. "Put together, it points to the fact that the government has been totally unsuccessful."
On Friday, Mr. Singh said it would be "disastrous" if Mr. Modi came to power, making a reference to Mr. Modi's inability to contain 2002 religious riots in the western state of Gujarat, where the BJP leader serves as chief minister. Mr. Singh accused Mr. Modi of presiding over the "mass massacre of innocent citizens in the streets."
Mr. Modi denies all allegations, and investigations have turned up no evidence to prosecute him.
Write to Niharika Mandhana at niharika.mandhana@wsj.com and Rajesh Roy at rajesh.roy@wsj.com
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