India's 'odd couple' still going strong mid-way through mandate

INDIA: They are the odd couple who have defied the odds in India's tumultuous political world, often racked by bitter infighting.

Ever since Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned down the prime minister's job after leading the party to its surprise May 17, 2004 election win and tapped economic reformer Manmohan Singh for the job, India's biggest political parlour game has been to watch for a rift.

But with the government now at midway point in its five-year mandate, the partnership between Italian-born Gandhi and the elderly Sikh - nicknamed the "odd couple" by Indian media - has survived a series of whispering campaigns and is still going strong.

"The relationship is solid," said political commentator Mahesh Rangarajan.

Usually in Indian politics, the prime minister has been president of the ruling party and the situation in which the jobs are split can create tensions.

But 59-year-old Gandhi, widow of slain former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, declared at a recent news conference that she and all her colleagues were "absolutely satisfied" with the performance of the mild-mannered Singh.

"She drove home the point there had been no dilution in the relationship of trust she shares with the prime minister," said Hindustan Times political columnist Pankaj Vohra.

A senior government official said there were "no signs of friction" in the relationship between Singh and Gandhi, who has overcome her initial shyness to become a formidable political campaigner.

"It goes beyond an institutional relationship. They have a warm personal relationship, an avuncular relationship which is partly because of age," the official, who did not wish to be identified, told AFP.

"Mrs Gandhi sees him as a family elder, reaches out to him for advice also on personal family matters," the official said.

The opposition Hindu nationalists have painted Singh, a longtime family loyalist, as a "puppet" of Gandhi. Commentators sometimes refer to Singh as "Madam's choice," a reference to the way Gandhi is addressed by staff.

They say Singh has no choice but to obey Gandhi, who occupies a powerful post as Congress chief as well as torchbearer for India's Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, a "political royal family" which has given the country three prime ministers.

"She's the boss," said political author Satish Jacob.

Singh, however, has consistently denied reports that Gandhi meddles in government although he concedes that she "does contribute to policy making" in her role as party president.

And Singh, known for wearing sky-blue turbans, has scored highly among Indian voters for his performance.

A newspaper opinion poll this month suggested just 11 percent of Indians believed his performance was poor. A full 60 percent rated his performance above average while 27 percent called it average.

Singh is known as the architect of India's economic reforms in his earlier avatar as finance minister and commands respect as a man of strong honesty in parliament where over a quarter of the 540 people elected in 2004 faced criminal charges.

"They both bring different strengths to the relationship. Dr Singh has long government experience while Mrs Gandhi has a charisma, has a public persona that is very strong," the government official said.

"It is the Gandhi brand. Our politicians understood the importance of brands long before corporations," he said.

Some say Singh's task is to keep the prime minister's chair warm for the "Gen-Next" of the Gandhi family.

Sonia's son Rahul is a Congress MP who is learning the political ropes. His younger sister, Priyanka, is seen as a natural politician in the style of her late grandmother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1982.

"Manmohan Singh suits Sonia Gandhi perfectly as he is not an ambitious politician who would come in the way of her children leading the party if they wish," said Jacob.

New Delhi, Friday, AFP