Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate? Congress has decided to sit in opposition, says BJP

Hours after reports claimed that Congress is expected to declare Rahul Gandhi its prime ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 General Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party scoffed at the decision of the ruling party.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Hours after reports claimed that Congress is expected to declare Rahul Gandhi its prime ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 General Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday scoffed at the decision of the ruling party. BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that it seems by announcing Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate, Congress has decided it wants to sit in the opposition. Taking a dig at the selection process of Congress, Hussain later tweeted:

RahulG says process of candidate Selection shld be open to all. Will he also ensure process of Cong PM candidate selection is open to all?

— Shahnawaz Hussain (@ShahnawazBJP) December 16, 2013

Not much infighting for selection of Cong PM candidate as Cong knows it will be in opposition. Still, will selection process be transparent?

— Shahnawaz Hussain (@ShahnawazBJP) December 16, 2013

The BJP has already declared Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its PM candidate. After the severe drubbing in four states, Congress has convened an AICC meeting in Delhi on January 17 to prepare the strategy ahead with Lok Sabha polls being just a few months away. It is being said that Rahul’s candidature would be announced on the same day. Notably, the meet has been called at a time when Congress is facing an uphill task with the emergence of Narendra Modi and UPA appears to be shrinking. The AICC meeting was due since the last meeting was held in Jaipur in January this year along with the `Chintan Shivir` which saw the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the party vice president. After the defeat in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had said there would be deep introspection into the reverses. The Congress vice president had suggested that the party would effect changes beyond imagination.