Narendra Modi not a national leader like Rahul Gandhi: Congress

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone ahead and has announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, it seems that Congress is in no hurry to declare its PM face for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress on Monday indicated it was not in a hurry to declare its PM candidate and persisted with its attack on BJP`s nominee Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was "not a national leader" like Rahul Gandhi. The party said that becoming Prime Minister was "not a big thing" for a leader like its Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who is more interested in taking up the cause of the weaker sections. Although, it is speculated that leaders within the party know that the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is the undisputed choice for the prime ministerial candidate for 2014 polls, Congress spokesman Bhakt Charan Das said, "It is not incumbent on Congress to immediately declare its PM candidate, have patience." "The country needs a national leader and not a mere Prime Minister," party spokesman Bhakt Charan Das said while at the same time suggesting that the Congress has an open mind on the issue and would take a call as per "national need". "Those who fight for the oppressed and the poor, the dalits and adivasis know that their only hope is Rahul Gandhi and there is no leader like him. The country needs a national leader and not a mere Prime Minister." Das, who was subjected to a volley of questions on the issue of PM candidate of Congress, insisted that "it is not incumbent on Congress to immediately declare its PM candidate". Asked whether he was ruling out Gandhi as the PM candidate, he said that every view becomes "insignificant before the national requirement. "I cannot predict what will happen in future. Congress has made many Prime Minister and also supported some. We had not declared our PM candidate in 2004. Only future will tell when the PM candidate will be declared." Earlier this month, while returning from an official visit to Russia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also indicated that he would not like to continue after the 2014 elections. “I have always maintained that Rahul Gandhi would be an ideal choice for the post of the prime minister after the 2014 elections. I will be very happy to work in the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” Singh had said. With PTI inputs