NEW DELHI, May 17 � After 10 years of eventful rule, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today bowed out of office, insisting that he had tried to do his best in serving the country and his tenure was an �open book�, reports PTI.
Singh bid adieu as Prime Minister of two terms in a televised address, where he said the judgement delivered by the people in the elections should be respected by all and wished the incoming government every success.
The 81-year-old economist, credited with playing a key role in ushering in economic reforms in the 1990s, leaves a mixed legacy of achievements and failures during his tenure.
He drove to the Rasthrapati Bhavan from his official residence at 7, Race Course Road, to submit the resignation of his Council of Ministers to President Pranab Mukherjee. Mukherjee accepted the resignation and requested him and his colleagues to continue till the new government is formed.
Earlier this morning, the Cabinet met and recommended dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Singh, whose second tenure between 2009 and 2014 saw the government battling various corruption scandals, insisted, �As I have said on many occasions, my life and tenure in public office are an open book. I have always tried to do my best in serving this great nation of ours.�
