Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata party on Saturday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s media interaction a day earlier appeared to be aimed at paving the way for Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
The Prime Minister announced here on Friday that he will not seek a third term and will hand over the baton to a new prime minister after the Lok Sabha elections. He also said Rahul Gandhi has "outstanding credentials" to be nominated the prime ministerial candidate.
Reacting to the PM`s statement, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said: “It seems the PM`s press conference was done just to give Rahul Gandhi a safe passage.”
The Congress party hopes Rahul Gandhi will become the PM after the General Elections this year, amid growing speculation that the party will soon declare him its prime ministerial candidate.
Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said there was no doubt that Gandhi`s name will come first whenever the question of prime ministership crops up in the Congress.
But he said political parties have certain formalities and recalled party president Sonia Gandhi`s remarks last month that the candidate will be declared at an opportune time.
A session of the All India Congress Committee will be held on January 17 and there is growing speculation that Rahul Gandhi may be named the party`s candidate for the country`s top post.
(With Agency inputs)
