JULY 15- The apparent divide in the Congress over naming Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate seems to be a calculated strategy. The party appears to be making a virtue out of the hazy electoral horizon.
Congress strategists said they have been monitoring the developments in the BJP and were waiting for the saffron party to settle their PM candidate issue.
“Now that it is clear that Modi is their candidate, we have enough time to plan our strategy without officially naming a candidate,” a senior Congress leader said.
In 2009, the party chose Manmohan Singh because he was a favourite among the middle class.
But as his image has taken a big hit, the Congress may find another face for the 2014 polls. The dilemma facing the party now is that if it projects Rahul and ends up getting 150-160 seats, his untested flair will be wasted. A party leader: “Why should Rahul bear the cross of scams and inflation?” On the other hand, a section in the party believes that the Modi chant in the BJP will help the Congress bag at least 200 seats. In that scenario, Rahul could head the UPA III. Corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday joined the debate saying Rahul did not need projection.
“When UPA III is formed, the Congress will take a decision as to who the PM will be… We are not a one-man show,” Pilot said, in an apparent reference to Narendra Modi.
