No bar on Rajya Sabha MP becoming PM, says CPI

CHENNAI: The CPI on Wednesday said CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat's stand favouring a Lok Sabha member for the post of Prime Minister is "broadly and generally welcome", but asserted there was no constitutional bar on a Rajya Sabha member being appointed to the country's top post.

"The idea of a Lok Sabha MP for Prime Minister is generally and broadly welcome since the MP is in direct touch with people. But there is no hard and fast rule that only an LS MP should become Prime Minister and the Constitution does not mandate so," CPI leader D Raja told reporters today.

"We have seen Rajya Sabha members becoming Prime Ministers. This time we will definitely work toward making a Lok Sabha leader the country's next Prime Minister," Karat had said in remarks apparently directed at Manmohan Singh, projected by the Congress as Prime Minister for a second term.

Refusing to be lured into naming any person as the Left-led front's PM candidate, Raja said that elections were not meant to directly elect a Prime Minister.

Only a party or alliance that earned majority after polls could name a Prime Ministerial candidate, Raja said adding the Congress and BJP were "making fun" of democracy by announcing their PM candidate ahead of elections.