Notwithstanding the clamour among its leaders for projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2014 general elections, signals emanating from its allies and outside supporters are not helping the Gandhi scion’s cause.
The SP — extending crucial outside support to the UPA Government — on Friday rooted for Manmohan Singh. Its senior leader Azam Khan said that Manmohan Singh may hit the jackpot again and become the Prime Minister for the third time if the UPA is voted back to power as a consensus is emerging within the UPA on his name.
SP’s latest pitch for Manmohan Singh comes even as Congress’ ally, NCP, has already informally conveyed to the party leadership that its veteran leader “Sharad Pawar will not be comfortable working under the much junior Rahul” in case he is projected as the PM candidate.
Congress made light of the statement with its spokesman Rashid Alvi saying: “I am happy that SP has come to the conclusion that UPA is coming back to power after 2014 elections. But who will be the PM, will be decided later by the Congress’ elected leaders.”
Alvi went on to attack the SP for the Akhilesh Yadav Government’s decision to withdraw VIP status to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul’s constituency Rae Bareli and Amethi, which would result in the people of these constituencies facing power cuts for prolonged durations. Terming the decision as unfortunate, he said that it would go against SP if people of few districts get 24 hour power and rest have to sweat it out.
As far as NCP’s reservations over Rahul is concerned, the Congress feels that new generation leaders in that party — be it Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule or nephew Ajit Pawar could be projected to work with Rahul.
Sources said one of the reasons for the Congress’ reluctance in formally projecting Rahul as its PM candidate is that it is wary of the response of its allies in such a scenario and a year to go for the scheduled general election.
More so, since the Congress has already lost two important allies Trinamool Congress and DMK and would not like to take any chance and annoy its remaining allies by making any formal announcement about PM’s candidate.
The party has thus preferred to remain vague on the issue, which was clear from Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi contradicting another senior leader Digvijay Singh when he asked Rahul not to appoint anyone else as PM on the
ground that two power centres are not good.
Manmohan Singh’s assertion that he is neither in nor out for the PM’s race and Rahul’s reluctance about being projected as the PM candidate by saying all these talks are smoke appears to be part of this well thought out strategy of the Congress.