Shillong: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Purno A Sangma terming it as "too late" the Congress' call for forging an alliance with secular forces to counter National Democratic Alliance (NDA), today (Dec 29, 2003) suggested that the former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao to be a "match" for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Atal Behari Vajpayee as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the next general elections.

"P V Narasimha Rao is the "only" man to match Vajpayee," Sangma said when reporters wanted to know his choice in the wake of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement on Prime Ministerial candidate in Mumbai yesterday.

Stating that the NCP would not have its objection and "cooperate" with Congress provided the party "comes out clearly" with its prime ministerial candidate except Gandhi, Sangma said adding, since Rao was acquitted from all charges, he should be the appropriate man and stood ahead of N D Tewari and Manmohan Singh.

Maintaining it "too late" the Congress decision of forging an alliance with secular parties in the country, Sangma said the problem with the party was that it took "wrong decision too early" and "right decision too late".

Sangma said the NCP has convened its working committee meeting on January 12 in Delhi to discuss "seriously" the "pre-poll scenario" in the country in the wake of five Assembly elections and Congress' move.

Supporting the candidature of Rao, the NCP leader said he was a "shrewd and successful" Prime Minister of the country to complete the tenure despite being in minority.

If the Congress was so serious of its secular front, it should project Rao as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Meanwhile, the Congress today asserted that Sonia Gandhi would be the party's Prime Ministerial candidate and the leadership of the proposed anti-BJP front could be decided by the constituents.

"Sonia Gandhi is the Congress Party's Prime Ministerial candidate," Party Spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters in reply to a volley of questions in the light of Gandhi's remark that the issue of Prime Ministership would be decided by the people.