New Delhi: In an indication that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s much-expected elevation as party president may not take place before the Gujarat elections, the party on Friday said it has time till December 31 to complete the entire organisational election process and take a decision on the matter.
The party also said that Rahul is not only capable of leading the Congress, but is also capable of leading the United Progressive Alliance and the country.
“The election process in the states is in advanced stage. We have to take a decision by the end of this year and we will do so at the appropriate time, and the election process will also be completed in due course,” said Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken.
“The deadline is till the end of this year,” he added on being asked why Rahul was not being chosen as party president by October 31.
“We always believed that Rahul Gandhiji is our leader, he is our vice president and he is capable of leading the Congress, the UPA and also leading the country,” said Maken.
“We have time till December 31 to complete the whole process and report it to the Election Commission. By that time the process will be over,” he added.
The Congress had earlier set a deadline to complete the organisational elections by the end of October.
Asked about Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s remarks that the Congress vice president is capable of leading the country, Maken said, “As far as (Gandhi’s) acceptance by other parties is concerned, we in the Congress have always felt that he is our leader, vice president.”
The Shiv Sena is the second largest constituent of the BJP-led NDA.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, however, has been in a strained relationship with the BJP of late.
Raut had on Thursday said Rahul is capable of leading the country and stressed that the Narendra Modi wave had faded.
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is capable of leading the country. It is wrong to call him ‘Pappu’,” Raut had said, referring to the nickname used to mock the Congress vice- president by a section on social media. (Agencies)
