Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi can be the party’s PM candidate given the “good work” he has done, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday.
“(Going) by the good work being done by Rahul, he can be the Congress’s prime ministerial candidate. “The work done by Rahul will show its effects in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and eventually benefit us,” Mr Gehlot said on the sidelines of an event at Vashi .
The decision on the Congress’ prime ministerial nominee, however, would be taken at the highest level of the party. On BJP’s appointment of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its PM candidate, Mr Gehlot said, “Modi is merely marketing Gujarat... Only time will decide who is the best.”
The speculation over Mr Gandhi’s likely ascension as the party’s nominee for the top job got a boost recently with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he was ready to work under the Congress VP after the 2014 elections.
A day after anointing Mr Modi as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, BJP chief Rajnath Singh had on Saturday asked Congress to declare its candidate for the top post.
Mr Gehlot was in Navi Mumbai to lay the foundation stone for the second phase of the construction of Rajasthan Bhavan. He said that his government had extended an invitation to the Maharashtra government to build a Maharashtra Bhawan in Rajasthan.
Replying to a query on controversial preacher Asaram Bapu, who allegedly encroached upon four bighas of government land near Harni Khurd area in Rajasthan, Mr Gehlot said, “the law will take its course.”