Sonia says she will not be Cong`s PM candidate

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Congress president Sonia
Gandhi ruled out Tuesday the possibility of her becoming the
party's Prime Ministerial candidate and said there was no
change in her position taken in 2004 when she refused the top
job.

"I had made my position (on the issue of PM's post)
very clear in 2004 and there is no change in that position
even now," Gandhi said when asked whether she will consider
herself for Prime Ministership after the Lok Sabha polls.

Despite being elected as the Leader of the Congress
Parliamentary Party after the 2004 elections, Gandhi had
refused to take over the top job and instead given the mantle
to Manmohan Singh.

To questions on the issue of Prime Ministerial
candidate, Gandhi flashed the party's manifesto and pointed to
Manmohan Singh's picture on its cover.

On the fate of the UPA in eastern state of Bihar and
northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the Congress has failed
to stitch up alliances, Gandhi said: "This is certainly not
the end of the UPA."

Asked if the Congress would take the support of
the Left parties after the elections, Gandhi said it was not
possible for her to comment at this juncture and that the
issue would be decided after the poll outcome.

To a query if the UPA was now in disarray in the Hindi
belt, she said her party has decided to fight the coming Lok
Sabha elections alone in some states and in some others such
as West Bengal, it was contesting in a pre-poll alliance with
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.

On the possibility of Banerjee returning to the
Congress fold, Gandhi said at present, her party was only
having an alliance with TC in West Bengal. There is "no other
position", she said.

On UPA partners making adverse remarks against her
party colleagues, but refraining from pointing a finger at
her, Gandhi said: "I have not heard any comment about me and
my party. You have to enlighten me."

To a query on reports of Pattali Makkal Katachi (PMK)
breaking away from the alliance in southern state of Tamil
Nadu, the UPA chairperson said that there was no change, as of
now.

On BJP's accusations that Varun Gandhi's "communal"
outbursts at a rally in Pilibhit was a result of Congress
mindset, Gandhi said any sane person would know too well
that what was being said by the BJP was "untrue." PTI