After polls, Singh to stay on in Rajya Sabha
Won’t pen autobiography, says some facts should ‘be taken to grave’
NEW DELHI: To invoke what his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee had once said — albeit about himself — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may neither be “tired” nor “retired” from public life after the 2014 general elections.
But Singh is almost certain not to write an autobiography. While his former cabinet colleague, President Pranab Mukherjee, has completed the first draft of his own biogra- phy, Singh has reportedly told an aide: “Some facts should be taken to the grave.”
Singh had announced in January that he would not run for a third term in the top chair. He, however, will be around and involved in Congress affairs, according to his close aides. Singh will act as a key mentor to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and continue to advise party chief Sonia Gandhi on issues of national importance, a source added.
Rahul had last year described Singh as his “political guru” and said: “I have learnt a lot from him.” A party source pointed out: “The Congress president too has an excellent working relation with Singh.”
Singh is set to retain his Rajya Sabha seat till the end of the current term, which will end in 2018. But there is a question mark on whether he would like to be the Leader of Opposition in case the Congress is out of power after the elections.
He has an open offer too to teach in Cambridge University.
Top sources indicate that Singh has turned down a suggestion to go on a world tour after demitting office.
“As the PM, he has already travelled to 73 countries and undertaken more than 250 domestic tours in the past 10 years. But yes, he has expressed interest to go for a short holiday somewhere in India,” said an official.
Barring a brief period of ailment in 2009, Singh has not taken a break from his heavy work schedule in the past 10 years.
Even as he embarks upon the last leg of his campaign tours as the PM, Singh has quickly wrapped up the work of various committees under his leadership.
“The PM held meetings of the Gandhi Peace Foundation and the panel to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary celebration of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru,” said a source.