New Delhi, May 12: In the midst of a debate over his effectiveness as a campaigner, Congress spokesman on Saturday said Rahul Gandhi is a potential Prime Minister in the years to come.
"Naturally, Rahul's name is in currency as a future potential prime minister," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.
Singhvi said that Rahul's future was bright and positive and the party and the nation expect much from his leadership.
He dismissed suggestions that the outcome in UP where Rahul led the party in campaigning was a setback.
This is not the first time that Rahul has been projected as the future leader of the party or the country by the AICC.
"Every electoral defeat is a lesson to be imbibed for concrete improvement and cannot be called a setback," he said.
Replying to a question, Singhvi advised outgoing UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to "set his own house in order" instead of issuing wild threats to Congress.
He said this when asked to react over the SP supremo's reported statement that the result in UP was the beginning of the end for Congress.
"This is the voice of frustration... Of those who have lost power. Instead of issuing wild threats they should set their own house in order," he said.
Congress remained in the fourth position in the just concluded UP polls bagging 21 seats, four less from the previous polls.
The state polls had witnessed a high voltage campaign from Rahul and his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi in all the seven phases of the elections.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, May 12, 2007, 00:00