Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister in 2019? 'Yes, why not,' says Congress President

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has no qualms in becoming the next Prime Minister of India if Congress comes in to power

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has no qualms in becoming the next Prime Minister of India if Congress is voted in power.

“Yes why not,” said Rahul at a press conference in Bengaluru on being asked if he can be PM in 2019. 

He went on to add, "Well, it depends....It depends on how well the Congress does in the election....I mean if it emerges as the biggest party, yes."

In September 2017, the Gandhi scion had said that he was ready to be the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 general elections at an event in Berkley University in the United States.

Gandhi further said that he is "pretty confident" that Narendra Modi would not be the next Prime Minister.

If the Congress acts as a "platform" (with other parties in a coalition), the BJP does not stand a chance of winning the elections, he said at a Bengaluru function where he launched the "Samruddha Bharat Foundation".

"It is highly unlikely that BJP will form the next government, and the second part is that it is close to impossible that Modi will be the next prime minister," Gandhi said.

Attacking BJP president Amit Shah, the Congress chief said, “Amit Shah has been accused of murder. Don't think he has lot of credibility. People in India forget that BJP President is a murder accused. Party that talks about honesty, decency has a person who's been accused of murder as President.”

He also lashed out at BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in Karnataka polls, BS Yeddyurappa, calling him 'corrupt'.

“We are repeatedly asking the Prime Minister why has he chosen a corrupt person, who has been in jail as his party's CM candidate,” said Rahul.

On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi poked fun at PM Modi for heading a government that is presently functioning with no leadership in the Finance Ministry.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been unwell and out of action since April, and Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia out on holiday. Rahul poked fun of this in a tweet which read, "Dear FM, As you are indisposed and Finance Secretary is on vacation with his Guru on a quest for inner peace, I have decided to shut the Finance Ministry till further notice. The PMO will take all financial policy decisions as before. Prime Minister."