Rahul should be UPA's CM candidate in UP polls: Lalu

VARANASI: On a trip to Uttar Pradesh which goes to assembly polls next year, RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Monday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should be projected as UPA's chief ministerial candidate in the elections.

"He should be certainly projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate as it will help UPA," Prasad told reporters here in reply to a question.

The Railway Minister said Rahul's active role in UP politics was expected to work in favour of Congress as the young leader had been trying to grasp the nuances of state politics for the past several years.

He said RJD would work with Congress in throwing out the Samajwadi Party-led government from power in the state in next year's assembly elections.

Lalu said his party would contest several seats in eastern UP and support Congress candidates in remaining assembly seats.

Reacting to Lalu's remarks about Rahul, Congress MP Jitin Prasad, son of late party leader Jitendra Prasad, said the party rank and file has been demanding since long that Rahul be given greater responsibility and role in party affairs in the state.