The Communist Party of India on Tuesday said the Congress can choose any leader of its choice for the prime ministership, which will be acceptable to the party.
"The leadership of Congress is their internal matter," CPI secretary D Raja said after a delegation of Congress leaders met his party general secretary A B Bardhan.
Raja said Congress leaders Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Arjun Singh conveyed to them that she has refused to become Prime Minister and it was her personal decision.
They said Gandhi has taken the decision as she was not in pursuit of power and it was for the Congress Party to find an alternative.
"We could not convince and persuade her," the leaders told the CPI leaders.