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Manmohan rules out another term

Backs Rahul as successor

Our Correspondent, New Delhi
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday ruled out serving another term after general elections due by May and threw his support behind Rahul Gandhi to lead the country if their party wins the vote.
Addressing a rare press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, he said, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would prove to be "disastrous” for India if he were to become the premier.
"Without discussing the merits of Narendra Modi, I sincerely believe that it will be disastrous for the country to have Modi as the PM," Manmohan, who has been India's PM for the last ten years, said.
He said he was fully confident that the next prime minister, after the Lok Sabha election, will also be from the Congress-led UPA coalition.
"In a few months' time, after the general election, I will hand the baton over to a new prime minister," Manmohan told the press conference, his third during a ten-year tenure.
During his 70-minute media conference, the premier answered questions on a range of issues including corruption, inflation, economy and internal political situation.
Manmohan said he hoped his successor would be one chosen by the current coalition and added that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has "outstanding credentials" to be nominated the UPA's prime ministerial candidate.
He said: "I have indicated in opening remarks that I do not intend to be prime ministerial candidate if the UPA were to come to power after the general elections.
"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to be nominated as the prime ministerial candidate, and I hope our party will take that decision at the appropriate time."
Manmohan's remarks were significant as they come days ahead of the Congress party's session amid a clamour in the party to announce Rahul Gandhi as Congress' PM candidate.
He said the party has never asked him to resign neither has he ever thought of stepping down during the last ten years.
The prime minister also rejected the charge that the myriad corruption scandals has tarred his image as he asserted that he will come out unscathed when the history is written about his government.
He said his best moment during the decade-old rule was the signing of India-US civil nuclear deal in 2008 that ended the "nuclear apartheid" status of India.