'I am ready for more proactive role,' says Rahul Gandhi

"I will play more proactive role in the party and the government. The decision has been taken, the timing is up to the leadership," said Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in a television interview on Thursday.

His statement came a day after to his mother's statement in which she quoted that none but only Rahul can take decision in this regards.

As it is known that several congress leaders in their separate statements have created expectation that Rahul can play a bigger role in Congress party and even in UPA government.

This is the first time that Rahul Gandhi has spoken about the possibility of joining the government or taking up a bigger role in the Congress.

Several Party leaders are projecting him as the next the prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls, likely in 2014 from Congress party.

Party spoke person and senior leader Digvijay Singh, strongly expressed his confidence that Rahul would lead the party at "an appropriate time".

The voices for Rahul Gandhi's bigger role grew louder after Law Minister Salman Khurshid said in a newspaper interview that the ruling party was yet to get any ideological direction from him and that had only "seen cameos of his thought and ideas".

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had also suggested that Rahul Gandhi should join the government as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already invited him and that invitation still stands.

--With IANS Inputs--