If Manmohan Singh's personal image is reasonably unsullied despite his obvious lack of qualification for the position he holds, it is because he is not regarded as a cynical, manipulative politician. In fact, many Congressmen believe he has not grown out of the bureaucratic mindset he inculcated serving the Finance Ministry during the Indira Gandhi era. They also say he has little political foresight, leave alone having a finger on the pulse of the popular mood. All political responses emanating from the Akbar Road headquarters of the Congress party are, therefore, attributed to the occupant of the neighbouring bungalow that bears a Janpath address. So it is intriguing that on something as politically complex as the nuclear Deal, it is the Prime Minister's doggedness that triumphed over the party's collective wisdom. By Chandan Mitra
