Rahul Gandhi will take up a “larger role” in national politics and his taking the party from the old generation to the young is “sure” to happen, says Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh.
Mr Singh, who had at the party plenary here in December 2010 pleaded that Rahul should build his own team, however, does not want to go into when the young leader will play that role saying “that you will see”.
“Of course, he (Rahul Gandhi) will take a larger role,” was his response when PTI asked him whether he sees the possibility of Mr Gandhi taking bigger responsibilities in the near future amid projections that he would be the future Prime Minister.
To a question on whether he agrees with the perception that the process of the youth taking over key responsibilities in the party is taking place at a very slow speed, Mr Singh remarked “slow, but sure”. He added that this was bound to happen.
Asked whether he feels that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has become jaded in UPA II with a series of scams dogging the government, the Congress general secretary replied in the negative saying “he was as vigorous in UPA II as he was in UPA I.”
Mr Singh also rejected contentions of any disconnect between the Prime Minister and the party.
“It was not there then and it is not there now,” was his response to a question on whether Prime Minister and the party are not on the same page on many issues, including the Lokpal issue.
He did not agree with a suggestion that there appeared to be a lack of coordination in UPA II and the present government appeared drifting.
He said similar criticism was happening even during UPA I but despite all that the alliance returned to power in 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The AICC general secretary, who has twice been chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, ruled out the possibility of his returning to the state politics saying “there is no question of it. I have been chief minister of the state twice...Now new people should come.”