Manmohan Singh a good man, but under Gandhis' control, says Sukhbir Badal

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a good man but is controlled by the Gandhi family, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Tuesday.

Badal also asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win majority on its own in the next parliamentary elections, courtesy a "tsunami" in the shape of Narendra Modi.

Noting that indecisiveness and lack of leadership in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had resulted in the collapse of governance and economy, he said Manmohan Singh was cut off from reality and does not have freedom of action.

"The Prime Minister, who hails from our (Punjab) state, is a good man. But he is completely under control of the Gandhi family. He does not have a free hand. He is cut off from reality.

"The ruling Congress suffers from indecisiveness. The flip-flop on the ordinance (to protect convicted lawmakers) is the latest example of double standards of the Congress and its UPA government," said Badal, who is also president of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

He expressed confidence about the NDA's victory.

"The NDA will win majority on its own in the coming Lok Sabha elections to form the next government in New Delhi. A tsunami is coming in the form of Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate," said Badal.

Asserting that there was no alternative to Modi, he said there was a strong undercurrent in favour of the NDA, which would attract more allies in the run-up to the general elections.

"Don't be surprised if you see more political parties joining the NDA before the parliamentary elections. A wave is building up across the country in favour of the NDA and its allies. The feeling for a positive change at the centre is nationwide because people want strong leadership and decision leadership, which only a strongman like Modi can provide," he contended.

Reaffirming his party's support to Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, Badal said the Akali Dal would remain with the NDA and the BJP irrespective of the outcome of the next parliamentary elections in the country.

"We have been with the BJP for over three decades and the NDA since its inception in the late 1990s. We will continue to be part of the NDA and an ally of the BJP," he said.

Badal is on a two-day visit to Bangalore since Monday to conduct a road show on investment opportunities in Punjab and attract investors to participate in the Global Investors' Meet that his government is holding from December 9-10 in Chandigarh.