New Delhi, Jan 3

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has "outstanding credentials" to be nominated the UPA's prime ministerial candidate.

"...I do not intend to be prime ministerial candidate if the UPA were to come to power after the general elections," the prime minister said at a media interaction here.

"Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to be nominated as the (prime ministerial) candidate, and I hope our party will take that decision at the appropriate time."

To another question, he said: "I have always felt that our government would have been strengthened if Rahul had been part of our government, but Rahul felt he had responsibilities to the party which did not permit him to join the government and I respect that."

By:IANS