Amid growing speculation, Congress sources said yesterday that Rahul Gandhi may be named the party’s prime ministerial candidate at a strategy session to be held next month.
“The All India Congress Committee (AICC) session will be held in Delhi on January 17,” party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters.
According to party sources, a formal announcement on Gandhi as the prime ministerial nominee may be made during the session.
“The session is the best platform to make the announcement. Rahul Gandhi is the obvious choice of party,” Congress Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh said.
MP and party secretary Priya Dutt tweeted: “We wish that Rahul Gandhi is projected as our PM candidate on January 17 in AICC meet.”
“This should have been announced earlier but January is also fine,” said another Congress secretary who did not wish to be named.
A party legislator from Uttar Pradesh said the move “will help the party.”
Sources said the AICC session is significant as it comes months ahead of the general elections and just after the Congress was routed in assembly elections in four states.
After the assembly poll results, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had said: “We will name the prime ministerial candidate at an opportune moment.”