Sonia, Rahul to lead Cong in 2014 polls: Party

Congress will fight the 2014 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the party said on Tuesday.

"I think party spokesperson P C Chacko has already clarified...Sonia Gandhi is our leader and president of the Congress Party. She will continue to be president.

"We are going to fight the 2014 elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi", party spokesman Rashid Alvi said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

His statement came close on the heels of the clarification by Chacko that the role of Rahul Gandhi in the next Lok Sabha elections will be decided by the Congress general secretary and party chief Sonia Gandhi at an appropriate time.

Chacko, while addressing a press conference on Monday, had said Rahul Gandhi will lead the Congress campaign in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and take up an "important responsibility" in the party very soon.

The AICC spokesman said, "I did not mean any decision is taken in this regard when I said Rahul Gandhi will be leading the next election campaign."

He said he made the remarks in response to questions by media persons and these "should not be interpreted as any decision having been taken".

Chacko, while answering a specific question on Monday whether Rahul Gandhi will be projected as the prime ministerial candidate in the polls, had said the issue will come up after the elections and it was for party MPs to decide.

He had said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be at the helm till 2014.  "This has no relation. He is the prime minister. This government will continue till 2014. He is the prime minister till 2014," Chacko had said when asked about Manmohan Singh's fate if Rahul is to be projected in the next elections.