Shashi Tharoor: 'Congress in many ways a family-run party...'

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Reacting to a question at an event in Thiruvananthapuram on not being a Prime Ministerial candidate from the party, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi could become Prime Minister since Congress is in many ways a 'family-run' party.

Inaugurating the new office of a US-based Silicon Valley company at Technopark Phase 3 in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, Shashi Tharoor said that either Congress president Malikarjun Kharge or Rahul Gandhi could become PM from the Congress.

"My guess is from the Congress party either Mr Kharge who will then be the first Dalit Prime Minister of India or Rahul Gandhi since in many ways it is a 'family-run' party. But at the same time, the merit of the parliamentary system is the Prime Minister is the first among equals and other ministers also have great responsibility for their work so whatever responsibility is assigned to me, I am confident I can do work."

Tharoor while explaining the system of electing representatives said that a candidate's individual merit was not the singular reason to choose him to contest.

"Our system is very different from the American system. The parliamentary system means the party decides who to put forward in these situations. Even whom to give tickets is given by the party unlike in America where voters decide through a primaries system" said Tharoor.

"It's not possible to have an Obama-type career in India. We are a vast country, we have 543 parliamentary seats and it is not the individual merit of one person that matters," he added.

(ANI)