Sharad Pawar, the NCP boss, seems to be all praise for Rahul Gandhi for denouncing the Congress's candidature for the prime minister's post ahead of the next general elections. Pawar told the party's closed-door conclave here on Monday that whoever got more MPs would get the PM's post. He said the primary motive of all parties that don't bond with the BJP would be to get rid of the present government.

He said even the Congress president (Gandhi) has said he was not in the race. "I'm with the parties that will work to change the BJP government," he said, adding that they must put up a strong fight together, get the numbers to get a non-BJP PM. "We would decide the PM once the numbers are there," he said. Pawar meant that any regional or national party that is powerful and does not associate with the BJP in their respective states should be supported by others.