Dispersing the speculations over the possibility of early Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the elections would be held as per the schedule. He made the statement to media-persons, accompanying him on his way back home from the G 20 Summit in Washington, on November 16.

On being asked if the present financial crisis would influence the Lok Sabha elections, Dr. Singh said that the present financial crisis has no bearing on elections and they would be held on schedule. The Prime Minister also said that the crisis is not created by India and the people should judge his government by its response to the crisis. Towards cementing his stance, Dr. Singh added that while the rest of the world is in doom and gloom, India will still maintain a growth rate of 7.5 per cent.

While responding to question, when the present global financial crisis will be over, the Prime Minister said that there are apprehensions that we have not seen the worst of the crisis yet.