New Delhi: A day after stating that the grand old party would not make it an issue if the top post was not offered to it and that the Congress was amenable to a Prime Ministerial candidate drawn from its alliance partners, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday took a complete u-turn. In a clear hint to allies as well as prospective partners of the Congress just ahead of the final phase of elections, Mr Azad said: "No, it is not true that Congress will not claim the Prime Minister's post."
"We are the biggest and oldest political party. If the government is to run for five years, the biggest political party should be given a chance. But what I have been saying is that while we are in the midst of elections we should not fight among ourselves. It (PM's post) should be decided by consensus, " Mr. Azad said.
In a press conference in Patna he had said that a consensus on the candidate for the top post before the results of the Lok Sabha elections are announced, would be welcome but stressed the party would not make it an issue if the prime minister's chair was not offered to it. He had further added that his party will not make an issue if the Prime Minister's post is not offered to his party.
Congress chief spokesperson Mr. Randeep Surjewala, had a different view than that of the Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha. He said the Congress believes it will be the single largest party in the country, subject to final outcome on May 23.
He further added, "Naturally, the biggest political party should get a chance to lead. All Congressmen believe that we will be biggest political party and as the biggest political party, we should be leading this country holding hand with all other like-minded political parties interested in giving a stable democratic, liberal and secular government to the country."
As the date of the results of Lok Sabha elections draws closer the opposition parties seem to be closing ranks. A meeting of several opposition parties have been called by the UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi on May 23 to discuss the results.
The opposition parties including the Congress are confident of a result that will catapult them in a position of forming the next government, given that the party has earlier tried to position its chief Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister if it makes a decent showing in polls. This despite the fact that Mr. Gandhi has repeatedly denied being interested in the post.
