TMC MP rejects 'Priyanka for PM' appeal by Cong leader, BJP claims 'feud with Rahul'

Congress's Acharya Pramod Krishnam called on opposition parties to declare Priyanka Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Wednesday rejected Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam's call to declare Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the prime ministerial candidate of opposition parties, saying there was no need to make such statement as it creates confusion. Roy said he knows Rahul Gandhi since he was a fellow member of Lok Sabha but doesn't know anything about Priyanka Gandhi, underlining that she never has been a member of either Parliament or a state Assembly.

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi.(PTI)

“I don't know anything about Priyanka Gandhi. People say that she resembles Indira Gandhi,” Roy told news agency ANI.

“While she helped Congress get good results in Himachal and Karnataka, there was no impact in Uttar Pradesh. She has never been a Lok Sabha or a Vidhan Sabha member. Saying such things create confusion. Things should not be said irresponsibly,” he added.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who contested and lost Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019 on a Congress ticket, pitched Priyanka Gandhi's name as a prime ministerial candidate ahead of the next year's national elections. Krishnam claimed that there is “no leader more popular, acceptable and credible” than Priyanka Gandhi to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“If the Opposition wants to defeat PM Modi in 2024, then it has to bring forward a big face that is popular, credible and acceptable. I think there is no leader more popular, acceptable and credible than Priyanka Gandhi. I want to appeal to Opposition parties to declare her as PM candidate,” he said.

Claiming a “growing feud” between Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said the Congress should settle it along with the race for Karnataka chief minister as Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, both frontrunners for the top post, are not ready to cede an inch.

“Along with Karnataka CM, Congress should settle the growing feud between Rahul and Priyanka. There is a hoard among their supporters to give them credit for Karnataka and position them as the face of the party,” wrote Malviya on Twitter. “Pramod has just fired the first salvo!”