Milind Deora is the latest in the long list of Congress leaders who have argued that Rahul Gandhi should have been assigned a larger role.
Mumbai:
As the country gears up for a fresh round of general election, Union Minister Milind Deora has reopened the debate on Rahul Gandhi's decision to stay away from Manmohan Singh's ministry, and insisted that he would have liked the Congress vice-president to join the government to gain "experience''.
"What I really would have liked is if Mr Gandhi got involved in government a long time ago,'' felt Mr Deora, who, at 37, is one of the youngest ministers in the Manmohan Singh government.
"I think if he got in to government, may be five years ago, when we came back to power in 2009, a lot would be different for our government, a lot would be different for our party, a lot would be different for him, perhaps in the terms of experience,'' Mr Deora told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
The Union Minister, who represents Mumbai South in the Lok Sabha, is the latest in the long list of Congress leaders who have argued that Mr Gandhi should have been assigned a larger role. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had himself backed the Congress vice-president's inclusion in his government in August, 2012, soon after Pranab Mukherjee was elevated as the President of India. "I have always said I would welcome Rahul's entry into government,'' Mr Singh had told reporters then. (Rahul Gandhi's entry into Cabinet will be a welcome development: PM)
The Prime Minister, 81, has now said that he would step down from office at the end of his second term. (PM rules out third term, says he 'will hand over baton') A section of the Congress argued that Mr Gandhi should have been declared as the party's prime ministerial candidate, but party president Sonia Gandhi rejected the proposal and, instead, anointed her son as the Congress' main campaigner, wary of converting the Lok Sabha polls due by May as a presidential battle, pitting Mr Gandhi directly against BJP's Narendra Modi.
"What I really would have liked is if Mr Gandhi got involved in government a long time ago,'' felt Mr Deora, who, at 37, is one of the youngest ministers in the Manmohan Singh government.
"I think if he got in to government, may be five years ago, when we came back to power in 2009, a lot would be different for our government, a lot would be different for our party, a lot would be different for him, perhaps in the terms of experience,'' Mr Deora told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
The Union Minister, who represents Mumbai South in the Lok Sabha, is the latest in the long list of Congress leaders who have argued that Mr Gandhi should have been assigned a larger role. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had himself backed the Congress vice-president's inclusion in his government in August, 2012, soon after Pranab Mukherjee was elevated as the President of India. "I have always said I would welcome Rahul's entry into government,'' Mr Singh had told reporters then. (Rahul Gandhi's entry into Cabinet will be a welcome development: PM)
The Prime Minister, 81, has now said that he would step down from office at the end of his second term. (PM rules out third term, says he 'will hand over baton') A section of the Congress argued that Mr Gandhi should have been declared as the party's prime ministerial candidate, but party president Sonia Gandhi rejected the proposal and, instead, anointed her son as the Congress' main campaigner, wary of converting the Lok Sabha polls due by May as a presidential battle, pitting Mr Gandhi directly against BJP's Narendra Modi.
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