SME Times News Bureau | 31 Oct, 2009
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the senior most member of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet, on Friday hinted his present tenure may be the last after which he would like to call it quits in politics and indulge in his "large collection of books" waiting for him in his study.

"By the time this tenure is over, ladies and gentlemen, I will be 79," the finance minister told the audience at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, when asked where he saw himself after five years and if he had aspirations to become the president of the country.

"That will be the time. I will go to my study where I have a large collection of books which I haven't had the time to read," said the minister, when also asked to respond to his remarks a few months ago that he was fighting his last Lok Sabha election.

Described as a teacher, journalist, writer, poet, besides being a shrewd politician, Mukherjee will turn 74 on Dec 11 this year.

A close associate of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, he is also the leader of the house in the current Lok Sabha, and has chaired more than 60 ministerial groups set up by Manmohan Singh since May 2004.

In his long political life, he has handled a host of portfolios, including external affairs, defence, commerce, industry, shipping, transport, parliamentary affairs, steel and mines.