A girl ties a rakhi on Singh’s wrist at his residence on Saturday. (PTI)

New Delhi, Aug. 16: Sonia Gandhi virtually announced yesterday that Manmohan Singh would be the Congress’s candidate for Prime Minister in the next general election.

After the Tricolour was hoisted at the Congress headquarters on Independence Day, a reporter asked if Singh would unfurl the flag at Red Fort next year.

“Hopefully,” the Prime Minister responded.

“Certainly, I am saying,” said Sonia, who was by his side.

With that, the Congress president set at rest speculation that son Rahul was set to take over from Singh. Leaders such as Arjun Singh and Ajit Jogi have from time to time asked for Rahul to be projected as the next Prime Minister.

Sources said it appeared the Gandhi scion would for now continue as general secretary or work as a minister under the Prime Minister if the Congress were to return to power. Singh had been keen to induct Rahul in his council of ministers and, at one point, had proposed that he work in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Sonia’s assertion is also seen as a rebuff to the Left, especially Prakash Karat, who had reviled Singh as a “Bush stooge”, and the BJP who called him the country’s “weakest Prime Minister”.

Sources would not, however, speculate whether she had in the process foreclosed the chances of doing business with the Left again. “Let us cross the bridge when we come to it,” a source said.

The party also believes that the Indo-US nuclear deal is a “hit” with the urban upper classes and as its author, Singh is best placed to sell its merits to this constituency, the sources added.

Singh was always Sonia’s choice for Prime Minister. Her mind was made up when she appointed him as a key resource person on high-level party committees in the run-up to the 2004 elections, those who had read the tea leaves astutely said.

On his part, Singh ensured he built on the trust she had reposed in him. Sonia backed him on the nuclear deal, brushing aside sceptics in the party who thought it might alienate Muslims and a larger anti-US constituency.

Initially diffident about dumping the Left for the deal, she backed the Prime Minister when he stood his ground and insisted it must go through. She endorsed his back-up plan to get the Samajwadi Party on board and worked to ensure the government for the numbers for the trust vote.

The only matter that now awaits resolution is whether Singh will contest the election. Those claiming to know his mind say that if he can help it, the Prime Minister will continue as Rajya Sabha member and maintain the “discretion” implied in not wanting to carve out a popular base for himself independent of the Gandhis.