Amid reports that a section of its top leaders are against naming Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of the party, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Thursday warned that those who have a problem with the party vice president will have to go.
The External Affairs Minister said, “If anyone has a problem with Rahul, they will have to leave.”
Khurshid, who endorsed Rahul’s nomination as PM candidate, was also quoted as saying, “Time has come for generational change. There shouldn’t be adjustment problems with Rahul. Those who have a problem with him will have to go.”
The reaction from Khurshid came shortly after many top leaders, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Rashid Alvi and Oscar Fernandes, backed Rahul’s name for the top job.
While many have voiced support to Rahul Gandhi, a section of its leaders have also expressed reservations over the party projecting him as the face for the 2014 polls.
Few Congress leaders does not want Rahul to be exposed to the tirade of Narendra Modi, the main opposition BJP’s PM candidate.
If sources are to be believed. then instead of being named as the PM candidate, Rahul could be elevated as the Congress working president at the AICC session.
At the moment, the party central leadership is said to weighing all options regarding Rahul Gandhi.
Before making any major announcement on Rahul Gandhi, the party leaders want to deliberate on three main options – conferring him as its prime ministerial candidate, promoting him to Working President, or declaring that he will lead the campaign for the national election that must be held by May.
Rahul, in an interview published recently, had indicated that he is ready for the top job.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already ruled himself out of a third term if the ruling UPA comes back to power. Manmohan has already praised Rahul’s “outstanding credentials”.
If officially nominated, Rahul would take on BJP’s Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
