Rahul will be blamed if Cong loses in UP: Pawar

In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN on Saturday, NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that if the Congress does not do well in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, then Rahul Gandhi will be blamed.

When asked if he thought Rahul Gandhi would be projected as the next prime ministerial candidate after the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Pawar said, "I don't know whether the Congress will project him immediately even after getting good results."

Here's the transcript of the interview

Meetu Jain: It's a major risk that the Congress is taking in projecting Rahul Gandhi as star campaigner?

Sharad Pawar: You see the Congress has projected him as the main campaigner. Not Digvijaya Singh or any other leader. Now they might be addressing meetings but the country knows who is leading the campaign in UP as of today, Rahul Gandhi. If he succeeds definitely that will be beneficial but if he doesn't succeed he has to work very hard for the future.

Meetu Jain: So you are saying if he doesn't succeed then the credit or lack of credit should actually go to him and not Digvijaya Singh or anyone else. He should be facing the flak for not getting votes.

Sharad Pawar: Congress might say anything but public at large and those who are responsible for making analysis of elections; they will definitely pass the buck on to him.

Meetu Jain: So do you agree with the popular perception that this election is going to be an acid test for Rahul Gandhi, his leadership and the fact that Congress could in the future have a new prime ministerial candidate.

Sharad Pawar: I don't know whether Congress will project him immediately even after getting good results. I don't know whether Congress will immediately project him. They might wait till next elections.

Meetu Jain: You are ruling out leadership change in UPA at the top?

Sharad Pawar: As of now I don't see any change in the national leadership, basically in prime ministership.

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