From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress plenary in Raipur this week will project Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate, with or without the support of other opposition parties.
The Congress leaders discussing the plenary strategy say fielding a joint candidate against the BJP in the entire country is not feasible since it entails a drastic reduction in the number of seats that would be offered to the Congress.
Earlier reports suggested that the other opposition parties have earmarked just 133 seats for Congress while sharing the remaining 420 seats among themselves, which has been openly rejected by the Congress since it amounts to shrinking of its base further if it confiens to just 133.
This explains the Congress reluctance to go in for the oppoition unity. The party’s organising general secretary, therefore, indirectly indicated at a press conference here on Sunday that the Congress is keeping the options of pre-poll alliance and post-poll coalition open, which will come up for active discussion during the Raipur plenary.
In all likelihood, the Congress may opt to revive the almost defunct United Progressive Alliance (UPA), minus several powerful regional parties, and at least double its tally in the Lok Sabha to over 100 seats. And, in case the BJP fails to cross the halfway mark, leaves other Opposition parties with no choice but to accept Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister.
Sonia Gandhi is keen to met her son Rahul become the Prime Minister, but she delayed it by not projecting him after the UPA’s second victory in a row. This showed her indirect acceptance that her son was immature to rule the country.
Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as very clear about his role that he was just keeping the PM’s seat warn until a member of the Gandhi family to came forward to lead the government.
All Congress leaders are unanimous that Rahul’s image has gone up since he led the Bharat Jodo Yatra to let him become the PM candidate and not allow the regional parties’ chieftains to stake own claim for the post.
