Leader from outside may spearhead Congress in future, hints Sonia Gandhi

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said there may be a Congress President from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family in future, adding that she opted for Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister in 2004 as he was a better candidate for the post than her.

"Why not? In future there may well be," Gandhi shot back when asked at the India Today conclave if there was a chance of a leader from outside the family heading the Congress.

On if the Congress will survive without a Gandhi as its leader, she said the question should be put to Congress workers.

Gandhi said there has been been a tradition in the Congress and the leaders are elected democratically. She also referred to dynasties in the US such as that of the Bush family and the Clintons and also to dynasties in several states of India.

Asked if she was the only glue for the party, she smiled and said it was a tough question. "There are many Congressmen, you can ask them."

Dismissing perception in certain quarters that under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when Manmohan Singh was in office, she was in power, Gandhi said: "I don't think it was that kind of a situation."

Asked why she did not become the Prime Minister, she said: "Because I thought Dr Manmohan Singh would be a better Prime Minister than myself."

"Without trying, even I knew my limitation," she said answering another question.

Gandhi said she decided to take the political plunge when she saw that the Congress was going through a very difficult time.

"Some people were leaving the Congress, I really felt that I was being sort of a coward in not even trying to do something to see if I could help the party," she said.