Nilekani for PM? Cong confused

New Delhi: Is Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and now in charge of the government's massive Aadhar scheme, being considered by the Congress as its prime ministerial candidate?

A newspaper report claimed that Nilekani, 58, is in the running. The report also quoted him as saying it was "complete rubbish."

"We have our own leaders. Nilekani is also working with us," said Union Minister Salman Khurshid in a non-committal response to the political buzz around Nilekani.

In September, there was speculation about the technocrat debuting in politics and contesting the national election as a Congress candidate from south Bangalore. Talk of him running for the country's top job picked up after Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Sunday, after her party's massive defeat in four states, that a prime ministerial candidate would be named at an "opportune time".

Her son, Rahul, who is No 2 in the party and led the campaign in the state elections, has refused so far to accept the Congress' prime ministerial nomination. After the Congress' total drubbing in the state polls, leaders like Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia have said the party will benefit if Mr Gandhi formally runs for PM.

In 2009, Nilekani quit one of the most high-profile jobs in India Inc to take over as chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, which is implementing the Aadhar identity cards to allow the poorest to receive benefits directly from the government. When complete, it will be the world's largest biometric database.

Nilekani was the talk in Parliament today but most political parties were dismissive about him. "These days, anything is possible," said senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, an ally of the Congress, said it was the party 's internal affair. His party man Ram Gopal Yadav asked, "Who is this Nilekani?"

A Janata Dal-United leader echoed the question. "Who knows him in this country? If Congress is hell-bent on committing suicide, then what can we say? Rahul would be a better candidate," said Shivanand Tewari.