The Hindu : National : NCP ready to support Sonia or Rahul as PM

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NCP ready to support Sonia or Rahul as PM

New Delhi: The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, a key constituent of the ruling UPA, has said it is ready to support Congress president Sonia Gandhi or her son Rahul for the post of Prime Minister in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

“Congress is the biggest party in the UPA. There is no question of the NCP, DMK or the RJD or any other party coming close to their numbers and if tomorrow Congress decides to nominate Mrs. Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, it’s not a question for the NCP to decide,” NCP general secretary Praful Patel said.

Mr. Patel, the Civil Aviation Minister, pointed out that his party had given Ms. Gandhi a letter of support for prime ministership four years ago.

“The choice of prime ministership of the Congress [led government] is not an issue which we need to be consulted about,” he told Karan Thapar on the Devil’s Advocate programme telecast on CNN-IBN. Mr. Pawar, the Union Food and Agriculture Minister, had suggested that the next Lok Sabha polls be fought under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Asked whether his party would support Rahul Gandhi if he was in a position to be nominated as the leader of the next government, Mr. Patel shot back: “If the UPA comes with a majority and if the Congress party so chooses, what is the question? Why is this being debated?”

Mr. Patel sought to downplay party colleague D.P. Tripathi’s “unfavourable” remarks against Sonia Gandhi saying “...she has been very magnanimous, she has not shown any pettiness, no matter what impression may have been created.” — PTI

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