“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.

Referring to the PM’s October 12 remark that the nuclear deal was not the end of life, Moily said that the deal had been “struck” and only the operationalisation was “pending”. “Countries like China took 13 years to operationalise. In that context, the PM said that it was not the end of life. It cannot be taken in isolation.”

“It is not just the Congress, it is the credibility of the country. That is why the PM becomes emotional. The deal has to be viewed in the nationalist perspective. The PM has to think of the country, which is behind the deal. It is not political expediency, it is the nation as a whole,” he said.

Indirectly referring to the Left using the marriage analogy to describe ties with the UPA, Moily said “a marriage is a bundle of compromises.”