Rahul Gandhi, scion of India's most powerful family dynasty and touted as a future prime minister, on Saturday said he would refuse to accept the top job if it was offered to him after the April/May general election. The 38-year-old Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great grandfather were all prime ministers, is backed by some senior Congress leaders and millions of supporters to take over the top job, replacing the current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"I would refuse to be (the prime minister)," Gandhi told reporters in the eastern city of Kolkata, adding that he was not shirking any responsibility by saying no. "I don't have the experience." India is holding a month-long election process, staggered over five stages, with experts saying the result, which will be known on May 16, could produce a weak coalition.
Gandhi is not the party's main candidate, but he has become a key tool of Congress to win over Indian youth as well as millions of poor villagers. "I want to build the organisation of the party, because it is fundamental," he said. Over the last year, Gandhi has made well-publicised visits to poor villagers, often staying the night in farmers' homes under the glare of camera lights.
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