Cong keeps PM option open for Rahul post polls

Digvijay Singh refuses to withdraw his remark

Even as the Congress indicated that Manmohan Singh could have a third term if the party gets a majority in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, senior leader Digvijay Singh refused to toe the line or withdraw his remark that two power centres did not work well for UPA and, hence, Rahul Gandhi should head the government if returned to power.

Singh, considered close to the Nehru-Gandhi family scion, in an interview to a news channel a few days back had said, he personally felt that there should not be two power centres and whoever is the Prime Minister must have the authority to function.

He, however, clarified that this did not mean there was any discord between the Congress president and Prime Minister during the two successive terms of the UPA government since 2004. "Whatever I have said is on record and, therefore, I stand by it,” he said.

Singh remained firm despite Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi on Tuesday rebuffing him saying, “The relationship which has existed between Sonia Gandhi as the party President and Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister is something unusual and unique. I think, for any democracy, this is an ideal model even for the future.”

Echoing his views, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the model of governance created by the Prime Minister and Congress president has been extremely successful. Dwivedi’s remarks should be treated as official as he is the in-charge of Congress media cell, he added.

“The views of the Congress spokesperson and Congress party are supreme to me. So, I would abide by that,” Singh too said, but stood by his views on two power centres in the UPA government.
BJP attack
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used the opportunity to attack the ruling Congress, saying the two power centres in the UPA government had created “indecisiveness”.
The main Opposition also ridiculed the Congress for going gaga over Sonia Gandhi’s ‘renunciation’.
"A message was conveyed to the country by the Congress that Sonia Gandhi gave up the post of prime minister but she did not give up power, and became one centre of power and Manmohan Singh became the other centre," party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here.
DH News Service