New Delhi:
Another startling revelation from the Wikileaks library of leaked US government cables. In this one, a DMK strategist is quoted as saying that the party saw Congress president Sonia Gandhi as the best UPA option for prime minister in 2009, as it found Dr Manmohan Singh "a bad candidate"
The cable, sent by then US Consul General Dennis T Hopper, quotes DMK chief M Karunanidhi's chief strategist Siva Prakasam as saying in June 2008, that while "the DMK will not interfere in the Congress party's internal political affairs", Sonia Gandhi was the most appealing candidate for PM from a Tamil Nadu perspective.
The cable also quoted Mr Prakasam as saying that Dr Manmohan Singh was "a bad candidate" as he was "essentially a bureaucrat and he will bear the brunt of popular anger at the price rise."
The cable also quoted the DMK man as saying that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was "not ready" to be India's Prime Minister yet and that senior party leader and the Congress' chief troubleshooter Pranab Mukherjee might find favour in north India, but that he wouldn't appeal much in south India.
The cable quotes Mr Prakasam as mentioning that the then Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh had called on Mr Karunanidhi in Chennai, suggesting that the Congressman had sought the Tamil Nadu strongman's support for him to be the alliance's candidate for PM.
Reacting to the WikiLeaks revelations, the DMK has said the cables quote a person and it is not the opinion of the party. The DMK also said that they do not interfere in affairs of other parties.