JALANDHAR, Feb 2 (UNI) The Congress today expressed confidence that its president Sonia Gandhi would be chosen leader of the secular alliance in a smooth manner after the election and she would lead the next government at the centre.
Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Ashwani Kumar said the Congress and its allies had decided not to project their prime ministerial candidate not because Gandhi lacked acceptability but only with an intention to uphold the sanctity of the process of electing a leader by all allied partners.
He said after the election at the time of forming a consensus over the leader, Gandhi, being the leader of the largest alliance partner, would be the obvious choice.
He said he did not see any problem over the issue and the ruling BJP and other NDA partners were raking up the issue of non-projection of prime ministerial candidate only out of the 'Sonia phobia' among the BJP leaders.
Kumar said the process of formation of secular alliance under the leadership of Congress was going on smoothly and 19 parties had already given a nod for the same.
He said the channels of dialogue were also on with the BSP.
