Amethi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, indicated on Thursday that he would accept the prime minister post if the elected members want so after a Congress win. Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, the Congress vice-president arrived on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency yesterday.
"In the Congress, elected MPs select the Prime Minister. If our party comes to power after the election and the MPs elect me, then I will definitely consider it," Rahul Gandhi said while responding to a specific query whether he would be willing to shoulder the Prime Minister's responsibility.
"To select a Prime Minister is the right of the MPs and it should stay with them. Selecting a nominee before polls is not a democratic culture, but part of a personality cult," Rahul Gandhi said, and cited the example of Dr Manmohan Singh's election process to buttress his argument. "He was selected by the elected representatives as, in Congress, there is no system of naming the prime ministerial candidate before polls," added the Congress leader.
Rahul Gandhi said at the same time that there were several leaders in his party's ranks who could occupy the Prime Minister's post. These include P Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid, and Digvijaya Singh, besides his mother Sonia Gandhi and him.
Earlier, the Congress MP from Amethi also took a dig at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas, comparing him with a bhopu (trumpet) who had "come to Amethi today and would go back tomorrow.'' Rahul Gandhi also made light of the AAP leader's remarks challenging him to retain his parliamentary seat, saying he had "a love affair'' with the constituency. "Mera to Amethi se prem ka rishta hai. Bahut log aate jaate rehte hain'' (many people have come and gone, but I have a love affair with Amethi,'' he said.
Rahul Gandhi said he had not been advertising the work done by him in his constituency, as he had been advised by his father not to "trumpet'' his achievements. "I am according topmost priority to the expansion of highways network to facilitate industrialization,'' the Congress leader said. He also pointed out that over 12 lakh women had been provided work under the Self-Help Group scheme.
The Congress leader also alleged that Akhilesh Yadav's government in Uttar Pradesh had been putting obstacles in his efforts. "They are now threatening our plans on power supply and road-construction in the constituency,'' said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president reiterated his party's position on naming its prime ministerial candidate.
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