Cong ready to accept anybody from Oppn as PM candidate without RSS backing: party sources

The Congress may have pitched for Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but today gave indications it is not averse to accepting a nominee for the top post from any Opposition alliance who does not have the backing of the RSS.

Top Congress sources while giving this indication also said that to prevent the BJP from coming back to power in 2019, the Congress will look to cobble up alliances with various parties in states.

On whether Congress President Rahul Gandhi will step aside for a woman candidate from a possible Opposition alliance, the sources said he "is comfortable seeing any prime minister other than an RSS-backed one".

"Let's see how the dice rolls," the sources said.

There is speculation in the Opposition camp that a woman prime ministerial candidate may be projected in the next elections and names of BSP leader Mayawati and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee are doing the rounds.

After the meeting of the Congress Working committee(CWC) on Sunday, the Congress said Rahul Gandhi will be its prime ministerial face for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It also authorised Rahul Gandhi to forge alliances with "like-minded" political parties to take on the ruling BJP.

Stating that it's going to be an "ideological fight", the sources said the Congress has to bring all the opposition parties together to defeat the BJP.

"India in 2004 is different from 2014. This is beyond our regular political battle. It is for the first time all institutions are attacked," the sources said and added, " the more the RSS attacks Congress, it will help the party to build."