Cong not averse to support any leader for PM post: Azad

The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister’s post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday.

“My party high command has already made it clear thatthe Congress is not averse to making a Prime Minister from any regionalparty,” Azad told reporters here.

   

He was asked if the Congress will be ready to support anyregional party leader for the PM’s post even if it emerges as the largest partyin a hung Parliament.

Speaking in the same vein in Patna on Wednesday, Azad hadsaid the Congress will not make it an issue if the PM’s post is not offered toit.

Azad’s remarks assume significance as the Congress has beenasserting that it would be the fulcrum of any non-NDA government, which wasseen as its claim for the PM’s post and had led some major regional parties tomaintain a distance from it.

“It will be good if there is a consensus on Congressleader’s name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabhaelection results are out but we are not going to make it an issue that we(Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is notoffered to us (Congress),” Azad had said in Patna, in an apparentmellowing of Congress’ stand.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had said the soleobjective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at theCentre and installing a non-NDA government.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Azad saidhere that he should prepare for installing his own statue.

Asked about Modi’s assurance of constructing a ‘grandstatue’ of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spotwhere his bust was vandalised in Kolkata, the Congress leader replied, ‘Now heshould prepare for installing his own statute.’However, Azad was quick to add that “somealive persons also erect their statutes as BSP supremo Mayawati had done inUP”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 × 3 =