Rahul should’ve become minister: Prithviraj Chavan

New Delhi: A day after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to speak out more often in the public domain, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan targeted the Gandhi scion saying that the party would not have suffered badly if the latter had proved himself before electorates.

In an interview to a leading daily, Chavan said party’s massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections could have been averted had Rahul joined Manmohan Singh’s cabinet as a minister.

Yesterday, Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had said that Rahul Gandhi should interact with media often as people would like to hear him with much attention in comparison to any congress spokesperson on any issue.

The Congress veteran had supported his views saying that 44-year-old Rahul’s absence in media helped a 63-year-old Narendra Modi to connect with youth.

In a veiled attack on Narendra Modi, Digvijaya said that Rahul’s absence from media glare helped the BJP leader in the run-up to the elections. “If Rahul Gandhi will not express his opinion on any particular issue then other will be heard more in comparison to him,” he said.

The veteran Congressmen said it is necessary for Congress vice-president to spend more time with media fraternity to help putforth his views to the public. “Rahul should interect more often with media as the medium is powerful and effective,” he said.

The Congress leader said Rahul should appear regularly in media and put his thought on a particular issue. On quipped whether he expressed his views to the Congress vice-president, Digvijaya said he had advised him at several occasions but he can’t force him as Rahul Gandhi is his leader. Digvijaya also evaded ENI’s question on alternative leadership in party. “It is not my job to decide, the party leadership takes call on such issues,” he quipped.