Cong wants Rahul to take over leadership of party, India: Chacko

Remarks come a day after Gandhi, addressing a party meeting in Rampur in UP, had said "a government of the youth" will come to power in 2014

A day after Rahul Gandhi said "a government of the youth" will come to power in 2014, Congress said today it wanted the young leader to take over future leadership of the party and the country.

Party spokesman P C Chacko told reporters that this was the feeling of the rank and file of Congress all over the country and hoped that Gandhi would respond positively.

"We all expect he will take up leadership of the party and after that the reins of the administration.....Rahul Gandhi should take over future leadership of the party and the country," he said.

Asked why Congress was not formally projecting Gandhi as its PM candidate, he said "that we don't do. It is not the Congress practice" to project PM and CM candidates.

"It is an old story", he shot back when told that Amarinder Singh was projected the CM candidate in Punjab in assembly polls last year.

Chacko's remarks came a day after Gandhi, addressing a party meeting in Rampur in UP, had said "a government of the youth" will come to power in 2014 which will work for the poor and "change" the country.

Seeking to dismiss the criticism of Gandhi's speeches by other parties, he said the issues raised by the Congress vice president will become discussion points in the times to come.

"Who is this man making substandard usage (of words)", he said suggesting that such language could have been used in the jail, he said in a veiled attack on controversial BJP leader Amit Shah over his comments against Gandhi.

Replying to another question, he said the glamour of BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi was "vanishing" and there have been growing differences within the opposition party.