Rahul Gandhi most appropriate PM candidate: Congress

The newly-appointed Congress vice presdient against high command "culture"

A day after Congress scion and Vice President Rahul Gandhi expressed his disinterest in the top job and urged party leaders to desist from talk about him being Prime Minister, his party today however reiterated that he was the “most appropriate” Prime Ministerial candidate.

Congress spokesman Sandeep Dikshit said, “As and when the time will come, the party will take an appropriate decision, as you said he (Rahul) is the most appropriate candidate. It is not the party's policy to announce the leader beforehand.”

Gandhi’s statement comes in the backdrop of widespread speculation that he will be anointed as the Congress' Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 elections.

Responding to queries on Gandhi’s statement, Dikshit clearly stated that “Rahul Gandhi is already heading the party's campaign committee for 2014 polls and therefore will also decide the party’s strategy for the general elections.

Dikshit however added, the Congress Parliamentary Party and the Congress high command will decide whether he would be the Prime Minister .

Gandhi had yesterday made clear that he was reluctant to don the mantle of Prime Minister. Interacting with party MPs in the Central hall of Parliament Gandhi had said, “Asking me whether you want to be Prime Minister is a wrong question.”

He had also said in no uncertain terms that he wanted to change the organisation drastically from top to bottom and his ideal was Mahatma Gandhi and he believed in the "Nishkam Karma" of the Gita. Calling the Mahatma "my guru", he said Gandhiji could inspire people as also the rank and file of Congress as they knew that he was not one who is hankering after power.

The party was also at pains today to distinguish between the ‘culture’ of high command that had been derided by Rahul Gandhi and the party’s continuing usage of the term ‘high command.”

Dikshit said, “What Rahul Gandhi had talked of changing in all political parties were this “‘culture’ of high command”. He had spoken of empowering the middle level leaders and MPs so that more than just the handful people at present, who call the shots, added Dikshit. “When we (the party) refer to the high command is the top rung of leadership.”