The first print run of Sanjaya Baru's book, which portrays Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a leader "defanged" by the Congress, has sold out - but publisher Penguin India says its release was not advanced to cash-in on interest that would be generated by linking it to the Lok Sabha polls.
"The first print run has sold out and the second print run is expected to be in stores by Tuesday April 15,2014," a spokesperson for Penguin India
The listing for The Accidental Prime Minister on Penguin India's website gives April 20 as the release date.
However, the book was in stores on April 11,2014. Though Penguin India declined to provide figures for the first print run of Baru's book, insiders in the publishing industry said a hardback edition of such a highly anticipated book would have an initial run of around 7,500 to 10,000 copies.
By Monday, Baru's book had sold out in most stores in Delhi and nearby areas. It was also listed as out of stock on leading e-tailing websites.
The Prime Minister's Office has dismissed Baru's The Accidental Prime Minister - The Making and Unmaking Of Manmohan Singh as a work of "fiction", while the Congress has questioned the timing of its release on April 11, bang in the middle of the nine-phase election.
Sanjaya Baru served as Media Adviser to the PM during 2004-08. However, the spokesperson for Penguin India dismissed such charges, saying the release of highly anticipated books was often planned months in advance.
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