10 Cong MPs want Rahul as LS Leader

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The demand is growing in Congress Party circles that AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi be named the next Leader of the Lok Sabha, replacing Pranab Mukherjee. Ten Congress MPs wrote a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi in this regard, appealing to her to take a decision on this swiftly.

The MPs who signed the joint letter addressed to Mrs Gandhi include Pratap Singh Bajwa (Gurdaspur), P.C. Chacko (Thrissur), Francisco Sardinha (South Goa), Arvind Kumar Sharma (Karnal), Madan Lal Sharma (Jammu), Bhakta Charan Das (Kalahandi), Sanjay Nirupam (Mumbai North) and Ranee Narah (Lakhimpur, Assam).

Mr Das and Mr Nirupam are also AICC secretaries. Mr Madan Lal Sharma told this newspaper that Mr Rahul Gandhi should get a position next only to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi.

He said: “Rahulji stayed away from holding any position in UPA-1. This is now the right time that he should play a role in Parliament.”

Mr Sharma further said some Congress MPs had met and discussed among themselves who should occupy the post of Mr Pranab Mukherjee when the latter became the UPA’s presidential nominee.

“And we thought that Rahulji should succeed Pranabji.” Another party MP who was a signatory to the letter but does not want to be named said the whole purpose behind this demand for Rahul Gandhi’s active role inside Parliament would benefit the party in the next election.

“It will attract young people in the country... Rahul Gandhi will interact with floor leaders, MPs and thereby learn a lot. He is going to become a vicepresident in the AICC, but his parliamentary role is equally important,” he said.

A CWC member, however, felt there was no need of making this demand through a letter. “Rahulji is going to be our prime ministerial candidate. He has been the star campaigner of the party. He will play a major role both in the party and the government as well.”

Rahul Gandhi is currently AICC general secretary in charge of Youth Congress and NSUI affairs. He has recently said he wants to play a proactive role both in the party organisation and the government.