Pranab right to be upset after Sonia chose me for PM: Manmohan

'In 2004, Sonia ji chose me to be the prime minister. Pranab ji was the most distinguished colleague that I had,” Singh said.

New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that his ex-colleague Pranab Mukherjee had every reason to be upset for not being chosen for the top post when the party leadership asked him to take charge of the office.

'He had every reason to feel a grievance that he was better qualified than I was to be PM, but he also knew I had no choice in the matter,' ANI quoted Singh as saying.

'In 2004, Sonia ji chose me to be the prime minister. Pranab ji was the most distinguished colleague that I had,” he said.

'I became a politician by accident when PV Narasimha Rao invited me to become finance minister.

'Pranab Mukherjee is a politician by choice and he is one of the greatest politicians living in our country,' he added.

Mukherjee went on to became the President of India and served the office from 2012-2017.