Rahul for PM: Dwivedi at odds with Digvijaya

“Individuals may have their personal opinions,but on such issues final decision is taken by the party only. The party has declared in Jaipur at the time when Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as vice-president was announced that the question of campaign and leadership will be decided by it later. No time frame was announced,” Dwivedi said.

Singh is considered close to Rahul and hence his views were often seen as a reflection of the Amethi MP’s thinking. Rahul has always sought to rubbish the guessing game over whether or not he will the prime ministerial candidate. Addressing a gathering of business leaders in April,he had argued the issue was irrelevant and it was all smoke.

The contradictory statements of Singh and Dwivedi,however,reflect the anxiety within the Congress over projection of Rahul,especially after the rise of Narendra Modi and his elevation as the BJP’s campaign spearhead. There has been a clamour in the Congress to project the 42-year-old Nehru-Gandhi scion as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014.