By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh today saw no wrong in projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha (Lower House), saying that the young leader has all the qualities of his father.
“Why not,” he shot back in an interview to PTI when asked whether a young leader should be projected for the top job as like it happened in 1984 when Rajiv Gandhi took over as the youngest Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
“He (Rahul) has all the qualities of his father. He is making sincere efforts in acquiring the information and knowledge that is required”, the HRD Minister said when specifically asked about the MP from Amethi, who is being depicted as the youth icon by the party.
He steered clear of NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s view that Manmohan Singh be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate and that the UPA should fight the elections collectively.
“These are individual views..It is for the UPA to decide. I have no view. Whatever is the party view, is my view”, he said on the Prime Ministerial candidate.
On the issue of UPA contesting the election collectively, Singh said it is a suggestion (by Pawar). UPA will decide whether or not it is feasible.
On whether Congress should fight the next elections in a coalition or should fight it on its own to regain its lost ground, he avoided a direct answer. “This question you should put to others. I am not competent enough to answer that,” he said.