New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has at last agreed to become the PM candidate for Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections after much persuasion by party president Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Vadra, sources said.
But Rahul Gandhi has put a rider: the elections must be fought on his own terms and conditions. Priyanka, on her part, will try to act as a bridge between Rahul and other senior Congress leaders, the sources said.
Rahul wants that the party must be careful in selection of candidates, and should rely on ground reports and surveys, rather than relying on the recommendations of leaders.
Rahul, Priyanka and Sonia have met thrice in the last three days, and on Friday before the Congress core group met, Rahul went to the Prime Minister's residence to meet Dr Manmohan Singh. The meeting lasted 45 minutes.
Reports said Rahul Gandhi requested the Prime Minister to speed up the setting up of Lok Pal, since the bill has been signed by the President. He wanted that the new Lok Pal should take over within a month. He also pressed for the early passage of six bills relating to anti-corruption pending in Parliament, to convey the message to the people that the Congress means business.
