Beni Prasad Verma says Rahul Gandhi my choice for PM, Modi cannot rule

Within weeks of his elevation to the post of party vice-president, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been termed as the PM candidate by Union minister Beni Prasad Verma, who says there is no comparison between the Gandhi scion and Narendra Modi as the former is a "national leader". "My prime ministerial candidate is Rahul Gandhi, Congress will decide when it has to. I have been saying this openly for the past two years," Varma said here.

Amid speculation that the Gujarat CM can spearhead the BJP campaign in 2014 polls, Verma brushed aside any comparison between Rahul and Modi, saying only Rahul "has the ability to to run the country" and "people like Modi cannot run it". "Rahul has travelled the length and breadth and has his own organisation of youth and NSUI in every state. Modi is chief minister of a state. Only Rahul has the ability to run the country. People like Modi cannot run it," he said.

Congress names candidate for Bhatpar Rani bypoll

LUCKNOW: The Congress party on Friday declared Raghvendra Veer Vikram Singh as its candidate for Bhatpar Rani Assembly by-election, which has been caused by the death of Kameshwar Upadhyay, who was sports minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government. In the 2012 general elections, the Congress had fielded Vinda Kushwaha, who is now contesting on the BSP ticket. Kameshwar Upadhyay's son Ashutosh is candidate of the ruling Samajwadi Party and he filed his nomination papers on Thursday. The election will take place on February 23.

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