Ghulam Nabi Azad says Congress not averse to back regional party leader for PM, party spokesperson disagrees 

Ghulam Nabi Azad.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, on Thursday, said the Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the prime-ministerial post even if the Congress emerges as the single largest party. Azad said this while responding to a question, during a conversation with reporters in Shimla, if his party would back any regional party for the PM’s post.

However, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala didn’t seem to agree with Azad’s remark. He said Congress believes it will be the “single largest party in the country, subject to the final outcome on May 23” and added, “Naturally, the biggest political party should get a chance to lead.”

Surejwala, on the question in the event of no party getting simple majority in Lok Sabha poll, said, “I think the norm on that is fairly established by the Supreme Court ... and the norm, as I understand is, whoever has the largest number in pre-poll alliance is normally called first. And that is the settled principle as laid down by the Supreme Court.”

Earlier this month, Azad, in Patna, had said, “It will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader’s name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out. But we are not going to make it an issue that we (Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM if it is not offered to us (Congress).

He also said that the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre.

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has started reaching out to non-NDA leaders and called for a meeting on May 23, the day the Lok Sabha election result would be declared.

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