Even as the CPM has particularly targeted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in its four leaflets that attacks various policies of the UPA government, the Congress has chosen not to react strongly — at least for the time being.

With the threat to withdrawal of support from the Left hanging over its government, the Congress has chosen to play the waiting game so as not to precipitate the situation from its side, according to indications from the AICC.

Strategy to lie low
The Congress strategy to lie low comes even as the party has started preliminary exercises to face an early general election, though it is confident that even if the Left withdraws support, it could continue for sometime as a minority regime till it feels the situation is ripe for the polls from the party point of view.

Till that time, highly-placed party sources indicated that Congress would not join the war of words with the Left, except for countering what it feels are attacks of government policies.

It is because of this view in the party, a senior AICC leader said, that the Congress was not replying immediately to the Left attack on the Prime Minister.

“It is not our style to practice personality-based politics. We believe in issue-based politics, and we will deal with the situation accordingly,” the leader said. The Left, another leader said, had every right to criticise the UPA government as a separate political entity that is supporting the government from outside.
“We are confident that their apprehensions would be answered through the committee that is being formed exactly for that purpose,” he said.

“The Left has got their own agenda and style on how to do things. But it is a question of policies, and it should be maintained as so, rather than making it a personality based issue,” party sources said.

In its four leaflets issued on Monday, CPM has attacked the Prime Minister directly in several places.

Accusing Dr Singh of describing US President George Bush as the greatest friend of India who helped India in the deal, the leaflets questions, “In his own country, Bush is regarded as the most unpopular President and has the lowest public ratings. So, how come a man who is not friendly to his own people has suddenly become India’s best friend?”

At another place, it says that in September 2006 the PM in response to concerns expressed by the Left gave nine categorical assurances about the guarantees on the deal.  “But in December 2006 the US passed a new law governing its relations with India called the Hyde Act which is final and binding. Thus the Prime Minister’s assurances have been bulldozed by the American law,” it says. It also accused the PM of mortgaging India’s farmers’ interests with the US and questions his claims on energy security through the deal.