Days after he informed President George W Bush that his government was facing “certain difficulties” in operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that competitive politics and a fractured mandate made it difficult for the government to do what is “manifestly obvious.”

“I must admit that given the nature of competitive politics and the very fractured mandate given to the government, it has become difficult sometimes for us to do what is manifestly obvious,” he said while addressing the McKinsey Meet in New Delhi.

Though the Prime Minister did not refer to the nuclear deal, his comments assume significance given the strong Left opposition to the nuclear deal which has virtually been put on hold. His remarks came a day after he was said to have expressed disappointment with the way some UPA partners had done a U-turn on the deal.

Meanwhile, the Congress today said that the Prime Minister was “emotional” about the way the credibility of the country had been put “at stake” by “jeopardizing” the nuclear deal.

“But he is not such a weak person that he will offer resignation,” AICC media cell chairperson Veerappa Moily told reporters.

The party conceded that it was as much concerned about the prospects of mid-term polls as other UPA constituents.

“We don’t want to go for elections. We have a mandate from the people to do a lot of things. What will the UPA and the Left explain to the people? We want to fulfil our agenda in the remaining period. Socio-economic-political stability has been the Congress’s commitment since Independence. Then, it (mid-term poll) will also reflect on (Congress’s) ability to run a coalition government,” Moily said.

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