Priya Dutt looks forward to Rahul's projection as PM candidate

Expecting an announcement on the prime ministerial candidate soon, the Congress on Monday said the party workers are looking forward to the All India Congress Committee meet, and, would be happy if party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is projected.

Expressing optimism on possibility of an announcement being made about the prime ministerial candidate, Congress leader Priya Dutt said, "The entire Congress party, including workers and youngsters, are looking forward to the session. And if an announcement is made for the prime ministerial candidate, then we all would be very happy,"

"We wish Rahul is projected as the prime ministerial candidate," she added.

Meanwhile the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sidelined the matter as an internal matter of the Congress.

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "It is an internal matter of the Congress. Who they choose as prime minister or its candidate, has to be decided by them. They choose their candidate by on-deputation or by appointing a member from the dynasty. These are the only two options in front of them."

"Today, the nation is not worried about the prime ministerial candidate; instead people wants to know what was achieved from misgovernance of the Congress," Naqvi added.

The Congress ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said the party will wait for announcement to be made on PM candidate.

NCP leader Tariq Anwar said, "According to the rules of a coalition, the bigger party decides its candidate for the PM's post. Then accordingly, the other parties support the candidate. Right now, only discussion has been initiated. Let the announcement be made."

The AICC on Monday announced that a meet is scheduled on December 17 to discuss its 2014 Lok Sabha election strategy.

According to television reports, the Congress Party is likely to name its prime ministerial candidate during the meeting, which will be presided by party president Sonia Gandhi.

The last AICC meeting was held at Jaipur earlier this year, and it saw Rahul Gandhi being elevated to the position of party vice president.