Updated

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said he will step down after the Lok Sabha election and - not mincing words - said that BJP leader Narendra Modi will be a disaster if he got to rule India.

"Without discussing the merits of Narendra Modi, I sincerely believe that it will be disastrous for the country to have Modi as the PM," Manmohan Singh told the media here.

It is the harshest criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate that the usually reticent Manmohan Singh has made.

In the same breath, the 81-year-old leader, who has been prime minister since 2004, announced that "in a few months time, after the general election, I will hand the baton over to a new prime minister.

"I hope it will be a UPA chosen prime minister," he said. "I will not be a candidate for prime ministership if the UPA comes back to power."

Manmohan Singh, whose government is facing a crisis of confidence, didn't say who will be the UPA's prime ministerial nominee but rooted for Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to be nominated as the prime ministerial candidate, and I hope our party will take that decision at the appropriate time."

In a 75-minute formal press conference, the first such in three years, the economist-turned-politician answered a variety of questions ranging from corruption to Pakistan.

Rebutting criticism about his performance, Manmohan Singh said history would be kinder to him than the media or the opposition, and insisted that he had done his best.

"Taking into account the circumstances and compulsions of coalition polity, I have done as best as I could do under the circumstances."

He admitted that rising prices of essential commodities was a major reason why the Congress lost elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

"I will be honest enough to say that price rise was a factor in people turning against the Congress."

The prime minister described corruption as a "monster" but insisted that dealing with it was no easy task.

"Dealing with corruption is not an easy process even though there may be opportunities as well as challenges.

"We must collectively grapple with the task of dealing with corruption. This is not a matter which only one party can accomplish.

"Various political parties have to work together to deal with this monster."

He admitted that the one-year-old Aam Aadmi Party was able to take power in Delhi by articulating people's concerns over corruption. "Whether they will succeed or not, only time will tell."

Despite announcing that he won't be the prime minister for another term, Manmohan Singh said he had enjoyed his work in the last 10 years, and that he never felt like quitting.

Did he ever feel like putting in his papers out of frustration?

"I never felt like resigning at any time. I have enjoyed doing my work. I have tried to do my work with all honesty, with all sense of integrity without regard for fear or favour."

Manmohan Singh said he did desire to go Pakistan and added that the India-US row over the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York would end soon.

Asked why he had not gone to Pakistan since taking office in 2004, he said he "would very much like to go to Pakistan.

"I was born in a village which is now part of west Punjab. But as prime minister, I should go to Pakistan if conditions are appropriate to achieve solid results.

"Ultimately I felt that the circumstances were not appropriate (to visit Pakistan). I still have not given up the hope of going to Pakistan before (giving up office)."

On Indo-US relations, he said: "There have been recently some hiccups but I sincerely believe that these are temporary aberrations, and diplomacy should be given a chance to resolve the issues that have arisen."

What the UPA has achieved
 
Highlights of the record of the UPA government, titled "10 years of progress and growth", cited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his address to the media on Friday and which was released by the Prime Minister's Office ahead of the press conference:

* Education - India has achieved "near universal education" at the primary school level due to Right to Education and the dropout rates have also decreased. The outlay for education has been constantly increased. Central universities increased from 17 to 44 during 2004-13.

*Farmer welfare - Minimum support prices (MSP) for wheat and paddy has been doubled since 2004, while MSP for other grains have increased three fold. More than 650 lakh farmers were financed by the banking system during 2012-13. The new Land Acquisition Act will provide livelihood rehabilitation and financial benefits for the affected people.

*Food security- There has been a three-fold increase in food subsidy during UPA tenure. The Food Security Act will entitles 35 kg of food-grains per month and other families for 5 kg per person at subsidised rates.

*Rural employment- The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the largest welfare scheme of its kind in the world started in 2006. Wages given under the scheme per day have almost doubled from Rs.65 to Rs. 128 since the launch of the scheme. In 2012-13, the scheme provided employment to over 4.98 crore households, generating more than 213 crore person-days of employment.

*Healthcare- Consistent investment in public healthcare showed reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates, while life expectancy has improved. Absence of new endemic polio case for the last three years.

*Social security for special sections - There has been ten-fold increase in the expenditure on minorities since 2004-04.

*Economic growth - Per capita income in India has grown three fold since UPA came to power. The average GDP growth during the period of UPA government has been 7.7 percent despite two global slowdowns.

*Infrastructure - More than 2 lakh km of new roads have been added to the rural road network. Allocation for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has increased by 88 percent in the 12 th Five Year Plan.

*Poverty reduction - Average decline in poverty was two percent per annum.

*Direct benefit transfer and Aadhaar card- The UID has issued more than 51 crore Aadhaar cards giving people access to direct benefit transfer in 184 districts.

*Development of North-east : Internal security has improved and the growth rate in north-eastern region is now higher than national average. Northeast growth rate is 9.9 percent compared to national average 7.4 percent.

*Governance and transparency - Right to information, second administrative reforms commission, and e-governance ensured transparency. Among the anti-corruption measures, the government was able to bring the Lokpal Act, as also the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, Grievance Redressal Bill, and Amendment to Prevention of Corruption Act.

*Security of women and children - The law has been amended to provide stringent punishment for sexual offences against women and children. The government has also passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. TheWomen Reservation bill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha.