Rahul says ready to be PM in 2019, BJP asks if he has given up Karnataka already

Amidst the opposition trying to put up its own front ahead of 2019, Congress president Rahul Gandhi finally broke his silence and said he is in the running for prime minister. He said that he would be willing to become the PM if the Congress emerges as the single largest block in the Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi who was in Bengaluru was responding to questions by journalists on whether he was willing to become the PM if the the Congress gets the numbers in 2019. If the Congress wins with the single largest majority, then why not, he said.

Interestingly this is the for the first time that Rahul Gandhi has openly expressed his interest in taking up the mantle. Although he was an MP when the UPA was in power, he did not join the cabinet led by Dr. Manmohan Singh.

He officially took over as the president of the Congress from his mother Sonia Gandhi in December ahead of the Gujarat elections.

The BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya was quick to react. He said, "Rahul Gandhi is dreaming of 2019. Has Congress given up on Karnataka? Is he anticipating that knives would be out for him on 15th as under his leadership the Congress would have lost yet another state (I seem to have lost the count)..."