The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, a key constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, has said that it is ready to support Congress president Sonia Gandhi or her son Rahul for the post of Prime Minister in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
"Congress is the biggest party in the UPA. There is no question of NCP, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam or Rashtriya Janata Dal or any other party coming close to their numbers and if tomorrow Congress decides to nominate Mrs Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, it's not a question for NCP to decide," NCP General Secretary Praful Patel said.
Patel, the Civil Aviation Minister, pointed out that his party had given Gandhi a letter of support for prime ministership four years ago.
"The choice of prime ministership of the Congress is not an issue which we need to be consulted about," he said during an interview with a television channel.
Pawar, Union Food and Agriculture Minister, had suggested that the next Lok Sabha polls be fought under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Asked whether his party would support Rahul Gandhi if he is in a position to be nominated as the leader of the next government, Patel shot back: "If the UPA comes with a majority and if the Congress party so chooses, what is the question? Why is this being debated?"
Patel sought to downplay party colleague D P Tripathi's unfavourable remarks against Sonia Gandhi, saying, " She has been very magnanimous, she has not shown any pettiness, no matter what impression may have been created."
Patel, whose party shares power with the Congress in Maharashtra, said that the senior partner should consult NCP before appointing the Governor or changing the Chief Minister in the western state.
"It is imperative that both parties, whether it is the Congress or NCP, should be taken on board," he said.
On Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Patel made it clear that the person is the legislative party leader of both parties.
"Let's not forget that the CM of Maharashtra is also the legislative party leader of both the Congress and the NCP. We should be consulted, our advice should be sought, and the reason is very simple, the person chosen is leading both the parties in the legislature and the state," he said.
Dwelling on the differences between the NCP and the Congress in Meghalaya and Nagaland, Patel said: "Probably some people in the Congress party may not have been very happy with the fact that P A Sangma would be working with us."
The Congress and the NCP fought the elections to the Meghalaya assembly separately and an alliance of regional outfits led by Sangma came to power despite Congress emerging as the single largest party.
Patel expressed regret that the Congress and his party had not come together to form the state government.
"We fought elections separately. We did not get majority, neither did the Congress. It would have been much nicer had we both come together and formed the government but that has not happened," he said.
Patel said that the NCP has been very consistent with its ties with the Congress and had even spurned offers from the Bharatiya Janata Party to join the National Democratic Alliance.
