Sangma's dig at Manmohan: PM should be Lok Sabha member

In an apparent dig at Manmohan Singh, senior leader of UPA constituent NCP PA Sangma today said a democracy like India needs an elected Prime Minister who is a member of the Lok Sabha and "can rule this country with authority".

In an apparent dig at Manmohan Singh, senior leader of UPA constituent NCP PA Sangma on Saturday said a democracy like India needs an elected Prime Minister who is a member of the Lok Sabha and "can rule this country with authority".

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The former Lok Sabha Speaker said that according to the 'letter of the Constitution' anybody can become the Prime Minister.

"Anybody from street, the President of India can appoint... But the spirit of the Constitution is that a Prime Minister should be the leader of the Lower House of Parliament... The PM who can rule this country with authority should be elected," he said.

His remarks, which could be seen as taking a dig at Manmohan Singh who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, came during an interaction with members of Indian Women's Press Corp (IPWC).

He went on the clarify that "it doesn't apply to Manmohan Singh alone. It applies to so many people. It applies to (JDS leader) HD Deve Gowda, it applies to I K Gujral."

Both Deve Gowda and Gujral, the former Prime Ministers, were members of the Rajya Sabha.