Highlights: Rahul Gandhi should be projected as UPA's PM candidate, Kamal Nath tells NDTV

New Delhi: On the fourth anniversary of the UPA II, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told NDTV that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi should replace Manmohan Singh as the prime ministerial candidate of the UPA in the next general elections.

Here are the highlights of what he said:

• As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, it was an issue of West Bengal politics
• Whatever the allies demand, the government may not be able to do
• The regional parties are state-centric, the government needs to have national focus
• Elections will take place when they take place. As things stand now, there are no possibilities of early polls
• Elections will take place as scheduled
• Our political formation is in place
• No need at this moment to have a special session of parliament
• This has not been discussed with political parties
• Monsoon session scheduled for end July
• Both bills have been through standing committee - largely there is consensus on Food Security Bill
• The faster we have the laws the better it is for the country My personal opinion is that we should do what is fastest
• In the last nine years, there have been no differences between Mrs Gandhi and the PM
• There is a question of timing; the decision of sacking the two ministers was taken jointly by Mrs Gandhi and the PM
• I think Rahul Gandhi has got his ears to the ground, he has a sense and feel and now all ten fingers in it
• I would like to see him projected as the PM candidate but the decision is up to him