Advani wonders what would UPA do without Pranab

New Delhi: Taking a subtle dig at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), BJP's prime ministerial hopeful L K Advani on Tuesday generously praised External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and wondered aloud what the Government would have done without him.

"I have great admiration for his (Mukherjee's) abilities and sometimes think what would the Government have done without him," Advani said in the Lok Sabha during the motion of thanks to President Pratibha Patil's speech.

Besides External Affairs Minister, Mukherjee is Acting Finance Minister and is standing in for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is convalescing after a bypass surgery.

Several members, including the External Affairs Minister, broke out into laughter as Advani praised him.