BJP calls Manmohan's comments on 3rd term 'day-dreaming'

New Delhi, April 5: The

on Friday dismissed Prime Minister

's comments of neither ruling himself in or out for a third term in office as "day-dreaming", saying the general sentiment of the country was against

and ruled the possibility of it coming back to power.

"Everybody has a right to day-dream. But people have already ruled out possibility of any return of Congress or UPA government again as people have suffered because of inflation. They have betrayed because of corruption and the farmers and working classes are feeling exploited. There is no question of Congress coming back," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

In a new twist to the raging debate over the country's next prime minister, Singh, earlier in the day, said he was neither ruling himself in, nor out.

Singh initially dismissed as "hypothetical" a question as to whether he would accept a third term in office, saying "we are yet to complete this term".

When pressed further by reporters on whether he was ruling himself out, Singh remarked cryptically, "I am not ruling it in, I am not ruling it out."

Singh's comments assume significance as there is a clamour in the Congress for projecting 42-year-old Rahul Gandhi as the party's prime ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Earlier, last week, 80-year-old Singh had said, "We will cross that bridge when we reach there" when he was asked whether he would accept another term in office if offered.

PTI