Manmohan our choice as PM for now: Cong

It was 'very obvious' that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi would be India's prime minister one day, but for now Manmohan Singh remained the prime ministerial candidate, party leader Salman Khurshid has said.

In a wide-ranging interview, Khurshid also said that Muslims were leaning towards the Congress in Uttar Pradesh but would vote for it only if they felt it was in a position to win, and so an electoral tie-up was needed with the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Khurshid, a former chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress and a former minister of state for external affairs, was asked if Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, would be the next prime minister of the country.

"Rahul Gandhi is going to play a very major role in these elections," the Congress veteran said, referring to the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"I think we have to let him make up his mind... He would make up his mind or his mother will decide for him. He doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He knows what he is doing and he is enjoying it.

"Yet, it is very obvious that one day he is going to be prime minister, I hope he becomes a very young PM, why not? I think it is very clear that he is amongst top leaders and it is also very clear that he strongly believes in a sense of propriety and democracy.

"Let the appropriate time come, he will be anointed or he would step forward to take (up) the responsibility," Khurshid said.

"Right now he is trying to build the party. We should appreciate him for that."

So who is the Congress' prime ministerial candidate this time?