UPA will complete term despite coalition threats: PM

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Onboard Air India One: At a time when outside ally Samjawadi Party has been breathing fire in the last few days, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday ruled out early elections and asserted that his government will complete its full term.

Speaking to reporters onboard the Air India One on his flight back after the BRICS Summit in Durban, the PM said, "I am confident that our government will complete full five years. The next Lok Sabha elections will take place on schedule.”



However, the PM did acknowledge the possibility of the SP withdrawing support from the UPA.

Replying to a question whether Samajwadi Party withdrawing support - whose support is crucial after DMK’s exit - would make the government "much more vulnerable", the PM said, "Well, obviously coalitions face issues. Sometimes, they give the impression that these arrangements are not very stable arrangements and I cannot deny that such possibilities don't exist."

But did he also feel reforms can continue under these circumstances?

"It is not a once for all set-up we are seeking by way of reforms. Reforms certainly have to take into account the fact that we don't have the majority to get Parliament to approve some of our reform proposals," he said.

"So we are certainly dependent on the goodwill of our allies and I would be the last one to deny that there are uncertainties. But even then, we are confident that the reforms that matter, and which are going to yield results in the next few months, we will be able to push them."

“Alliance compulsions have to be taken into account. The government will not allow coalition compulsions to derail the reform process or governance,” he added.

Singh also appeared not to rule himself out of the race for Prime Ministership after the next Lok Sabha elections.

"I have tried my very best to serve this country with all sincerity, with all dedication. Whether I have succeeded or not, it is for the public at large -- the people of India -- to judge."
 
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