We have run the coalition government very successfully. It is true that this is for the first time that the Congress is having a coalition government at the Centre. But for three years we have been able to run this government very successfully and we are learning the coalition dharma.

Yet the very nature of coalition -- so many political parties having divergent views coming together working together on the basis of an acceptable Common Minimum Programme itself is a big thing and if we could not learn the coalition dharma it could not have been possible.

Always, as I told you, even the best can be improved. So there is no room for complacency.

On cohesion in the Cabinet

You cannot expect cohesiveness like a single party government and cohesiveness in a coalition government though the collective responsibility of the Cabinet is the overriding priority. I do not think there has been any violation of the collective responsibility principle.

Nobody has done anything against the decision taken by the government. But sometimes it may happen even in a highly sophisticated parliamentary democratic system like England, more often it has been found that different ministers have expressed different views on issues even before the decision was taken and sometimes after the decision was taken.

And here in the last three years, the examples which you are giving are really few and far. Substantially a coalition government consisting of those political parties which are opposed to each other and even supporters of the coalition government which fought elections against each other in three major states and in one state they wiped us out but within one week the same political party supported us to form the government. That is the nature of the coalition.

Therefore if you expect that it will behave like a single party government that is not possible.

On whether he is comfortable in a coalition government functioning as Leader of the Lok Sabha

I am finding it quite comfortable. People are understanding. Of course, in a single party government you decide yourself with the consent of the prime minister. But here we have to carry the people and win them but people are not unreasonable and they understand. Image: Cut-outs of Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and her late husband Rajiv Gandhi during an election rally in Kolar near Bangalore. Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images
Also see: UPA@3: Perfect evening, old tale

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