HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, has for the first time it appears, expressed his “willingness” to take up the role of prime minister for the sake of the country.
The former AICC president was responding to an appeal made by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan, a training programme organised for the District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents in Vikarabad on Monday.
Urging Rahul Gandhi to “be prepared to assume the office of prime minister in the best interest of the nation”, the chief minister said that “every Congress worker should work tirelessly to see Rahul Gandhi become the prime minister”.
“The office of the prime minister is not an adornment but a responsibility to serve the people of this country. Rahul Gandhi should express his readiness to shoulder that responsibility. This is the strong desire of both the people of the country and Congress workers,” he said.
According to a press statement issued by the grand old party here, Rahul Gandhi responded positively to Revanth Reddy’s appeal and nodded in affirmation. Recalling that Rahul Gandhi’s father, grandmother and great-grandfather had served the country as prime ministers, the chief minister said that the former AICC president has no personal ambition for the post. Revanth described him as a leader who interacts with everyone with humility and simplicity.
“Rahul Gandhi earned his current position as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha through a relentless five-year struggle,” he added.
Revanth Reddy, meanwhile, cautioned the DCC presidents against indulging in “pairavi” (undue influence or lobbying), stating that leaders involved in such practices would lose the respect of both the public and officials. He underscored the significance of the DCC president’s role and urged them to discharge their responsibilities diligently.
TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, meanwhile, said the Congress government is implementing Rahul Gandhi’s vision, citing the caste census as an example. He added that the Congress had given priority to Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections as well as in the appointment of DCC presidents.