Page 109 - Congress

Ex-Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora returns to party from TMC after 2 years

Former Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora, who had recently resigned as the state Trinamool Congress president, returned to the grand old party on Sunday. AICC general secretary in-charge of the state, Jitendra Singh, welcomed Bora back into the party fold at the beginning of an Extended Executive Committee meeting at Charaideo. Besides Singh, state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and other leaders were present on the occasion. "On behalf of AICC, I welcome Ripun Bora back into the party. It is a 'ghar wapsi' (returning home) for him," Singh said. He maintained that though Bora may have joined TMC and became its state president, Congress is in his DNA. "We are happy that he has returned without any condition. He is with us as a party member," Singh added. Bora, expressing happiness on returning to the Congress, said, "For whatever reasons, I had left Congress for two-and-a-half-years. But it is the demand of the state and country that BJP

Can't forecast what will follow J&K polls: Karra on National Conference CM

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said the assembly polls are not just about forming a government or adjusting leaders in the dispensation but about "restoration of statehood and powers of the assembly" as well as "our lost dignity". Karra was also non-committal on whether the chief minister would be from the National Conference (NC) in case the Congress-NC alliance wins the polls, saying "we can't forecast things that have to follow after the elections". In an interview with PTI, Karra exuded confidence that the Congress-NC combine would form the government crossing the magic mark in the 90-member assembly and the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP would not be able to hamper their chances much. The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief also asserted that the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) is a "closed case" and "doesn't have a future". "I have been on record to say that as far as DPAP is concerned, it is a closed case no

Haryana polls: No final decision yet on AAP-Congress alliance, say sources

The Congress and AAP have finalised a seat-sharing arrangement for the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls with the latter agreeing to contest on five seats, party sources said on Sunday. Sources in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the alliance might be forged on Monday. "Talks between Congress' Deepak Babaria and AAP leader Raghav Chadha have been progressing in a positive direction. There are chances that the alliance might be finalised by tomorrow. AAP has agreed on contesting five seats in the state," said an AAP source. Earlier in the day, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said both Congress and his party are trying to forge an alliance for the Haryana elections by keeping aside their individual aspirations. Chadha said while the parties are yet to reach a consensus on the alliance, the talks are progressing in a "positive" direction and they are hopeful of a good outcome. He, however, added that the AAP will not proceed with the alliance "if there is no win-win situation". "The t

Congress was not good for NC in J&K till Mufti Sayeed made it so: Mehbooba

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the National Conference forged an alliance with Congress, its nemesis, in the 1980s, only after her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed turned the national party into a viable option in the valley. Addressing an election rally in Kokernag assembly segment of Anantnag district, Mufti recalled the time when the National Conference enforced a social boycott of Congress workers in Jammu and Kashmir. "There was a social boycott. Daughters of (some) Congress workers were divorced ... The barber would not provide his service to Congress workers. But Mufti Mohammad Sayeed organised the party and Congress protested against the rising corruption. Six people were martyred when Farooq Abdullah was the chief minister," she said. "When Farooq Abdullah realised that Congress is becoming a viable option and will take part in the National Conference, he put Congress in his pocket (through an alliance) and it is struggling to come out of it till date," she ..

Vinesh starts poll campaign, says 'blessings will help win each battle'

Wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat on Sunday said she expects to win each battle with the blessings of people as kicks off her campaign for the upcoming assembly election. Phogat (30) has been fielded from the Julana assembly segment for the upcoming assembly poll. Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the counting of votes for the elections to the 90-member assembly will take place on October 8. Phogat was accorded a warm welcome when she reached Julana as her supporters, including elderly people and women and members of various 'Khaps', greeted her with garlands and gave their blessings. The Congress had on Friday released its first list of 32 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, naming her among the party candidates. Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who were at the forefront of the wrestlers' protest against then WFI chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, entered the political arena on Friday by joining the Congress. Stand

Can't forecast things to follow J-K polls: Karra on possibility of NC CM

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said the assembly polls are not just about forming a government or adjusting leaders in the dispensation but about "restoration of statehood and powers of the assembly" as well as "our lost dignity". Karra was also non-committal on whether the chief minister would be from the National Conference (NC) in case the Congress-NC alliance wins the polls, saying "we can't forecast things that have to follow after the elections". In an interview with PTI, Karra exuded confidence that the Congress-NC combine would form the government crossing the magic mark in the 90-member assembly and the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP would not be able to hamper their chances much. The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief also asserted that the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) is a "closed case" and "doesn't have a future". "I have been on record to say that as far as DPAP is concerned, it is a closed case no

Haryana polls: Cong, AAP to set aside individual aspirations, says Chadha

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Sunday said both Congress and his party are trying to forge an alliance for the Haryana elections by keeping aside their individual aspirations. Chadha said while the parties are yet to reach a consensus on the alliance, the talks are progressing in a "positive" direction and they are hopeful of a good outcome. He, however, added that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not proceed with the alliance "if there is no win-win situation". "The talks are happening in a positive atmosphere. Both parties are working towards contesting the elections together, prioritizing unity and the demands of the people of Haryana, while setting aside individual party and candidate aspirations," he told PTI Videos. "Ball by ball commentary cannot be done on the seat-sharing arrangement. Both the parties have desire and hope to form an alliance," he added. Polling in Haryana to the 90-member assembly will take place on October 5. The last date to file nominations is Septe

Hindenburg research: Sebi has lot to explain, says Cong over Mauritius FPIs

The Congress on Sunday said the SEBI investigation into "the Adani Group's brazen attempt" to bypass regulations is still languishing and the capital markets regulator has a lot to explain. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh's remarks attacking SEBI came after a media report which claimed that two Mauritius-based foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), who were mentioned in the January 2023 report on the Adani Group by short-seller Hindenburg Research, have petitioned the Securities Appellate Tribunal, seeking urgent relief from complying with SEBI's new foreign investor norms. "Two Mauritius-based foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), a part of the revelations in the still-unfolding Modani mega scam, have now petitioned the Securities Appellate Tribunal, seeking urgent relief from complying with SEBI's new foreign investor norms before the upcoming September 9th deadline," Ramesh said. Both the FPIs are alleged to be violating rules that require investors t

SP, Congress train guns over wolf attacks; BJP says UP govt to take action

The Samajwadi Party and the Congress are gearing up for bypolls to 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, with the INDIA bloc partners targeting the state government over its "undemocratic" working style, "collapse" of law and order and the recent spate of wolf attacks. The bypolls, the schedule for which is yet to be announced, were necessitated by the election of the incumbent MLAs to the Lok Sabha and the disqualification of one legislator. Leaders of the two parties, which contested the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, have confirmed that they would contest the bypolls "unitedly". Samajwadi Party chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI, "The government has failed on this front (stopping wolf attacks). It has made people of the entire state insecure. We are going to raise this (issue)." "The government's style of working is not democratic. They have not done any development and they want to remain in government," he said. Echoing the Samajwadi Party lead

Voice of love is heard in every corner: Gandhi on 2nd anniversary of BJY

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started in Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022 and was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, concluded on January 30 in Srinagar after covering 3,970 km

Wockhardt denies Carol Info rent payment allegations, link with Sebi orders

Drug firm Wockhardt has denied allegations regarding payment of rent by Carol Info Services and its connection with certain orders passed by SEBI in relation to the company. "In this regard, we categorically deny these allegations and state that these allegations are completely baseless and misleading," Wockhardt said in a regulatory filing late Friday. It said the company has acted and continues to act in compliance with all applicable laws. On Friday, the Congress' media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera said that between 2018 and 2024, Madhabi Buch - as a whole-time member and later chairperson of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) - had been receiving rental income amounting to Rs 2.16 crore from Carol Info Services, a company affiliated to Wockhardt. Mumbai-based Wockhardt was being investigated by SEBI for various cases, including that of insider trading during 2023, he said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.

Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia used by Cong as pawns: Brij Bhushan Singh

Wresters Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were used by the Congress as "pawns" in their "conspiracy" to take control of the Wrestling Federation of India and attack the BJP, former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Saturday. A day after Olympic medallists Phogat and Punia joined the Congress, the senior BJP leader said here that he had defeated Congress leader Deepender Hooda in the 2012 election for the WFI which is why they nursed a grudge against him. Asked about Phogat and Punia, the two prominent faces of the protest against Singh over charges of sexual harassment, he said, "They were faces... they were mohrey (pawns). They were used by (former Haryana chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda, the Congress and the Congress family like pawns." "This was all conspired to gain hold on the Wrestling Federation of India and to attack the BJP and its ideology...This team of Rahul, the Congress keeps doing this thing," he told PTI Videos. When asked about Vinesh Phogat's assertions t

Those underestimating us will regret it: AAP amid impasse in alliance talks

Amid uncertainty over an alliance with the Congress for the assembly polls in Haryana, AAP on Saturday warned that those who "underestimate" the party would "regret" it. AAP national secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said during a press conference that the party was ready to contest from all 90 seats in the Haryana elections with full force. "We are fully prepared and waiting for the party's order. As soon as we get the 'go' word, we will announce everything. We are prepared to fight the elections with full force on all the seats and those who underestimate us will themselves regret it in the future," Pathak said. Alliance talks between AAP and the Congress have hit an impasse over seat sharing. AAP has demanded 10 seats while the Congress is offering five to seven, insiders have said. Haryana goes to the polls on October 5. The last date to file nominations is September 12. Earlier in the day, AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said talks were underway and ...

Cong lauds Bharat Jodo Yatra on 2nd anniversary, says it united society

The Congress on Saturday hailed the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying the Kanyakumari-Kashmir march was a "massive booster dose" for the party and a historic mass movement which became synonymous with uniting the society. On the second anniversary of the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the yatra proved that Indians were inherently loving people and "today our mission remains to ensure that the voice of love is heard in every corner of the country". Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the distance covered on foot by Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatris from Kanyakumari to Kashmir awakened an unprecedented public consciousness of love, mutual harmony and brotherhood in the hearts of crores of people. "On the occasion of the second anniversary of Bharat Jodo Yatra, I only appeal to the people of the country to continue the struggle to preserve the Constitution and democracy," Kharge said in a post in Hindi. "Our .

Former MLA Balkaur Singh quits BJP in Haryana, plans to join Congress

Singh submitted his resignation to the BJP state president Mohanlal Badoli

Bharat Jodo Yatra was massive booster dose for Congress, says Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was a "massive booster dose" for the party and heralded a change in the country's politics. "Today is the 2nd anniversary of the start of the truly transformational Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra. Over 200 Bharat Yatris led by Rahul Gandhi completed the 4000 km long yatra, overwhelmingly on foot, over a period of 145 days and covering 12 states and 2 UTs," Ramesh said. "This yatra led to unprecedented connectivity and collectivity and was a massive booster dose for the Indian National Congress. It heralded a change in the politics of our country as well," he said. It provided the impetus for the Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra during Jan-March 2024, Ramesh added. Rahul Gandhi launched the yatra from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022. It culminated on January 30, 2023 as Gandhi capped his ambitious 145-day journey in Srinagar. During the course of the

Haryana polls: Congress releases 1st list, fields Vinesh Phogat from Julana

Haryana Assembly elections: Congress announced its first list of 31 candidates and has fielded Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency

After LS poll results, ties between PM, RSS have nosedived: Congress

The Congress took a swipe at the ruling BJP on Friday over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's reported remarks that "people will decide whether we will become the god or not", claiming that after the Lok Sabha poll results, the relations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sangh have "nosedived". The opposition party also claimed that with each passing week, the lifespan of this government is getting shortened. "After June 4, 2024, relations between the non-biological PM and RSS have nosedived -- and they continue to be in turbulence. At an event in Pune ... the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat rebuked the PM for his claim to non biological origins, saying 'Whether we will become God or not, people will decide. We should not proclaim that we have become God'," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. With each passing week, the lifespan of this government is getting shortened, he claimed. Ramesh tagged a media report that quoted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chi

Highlights: Congress releases 1st list of 31 candidates, fields Vinesh Phogat from Julana

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For jobs, schools, hospitals in Haryana, press jharoo button on Oct 5: Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday told the people of Haryana that if they want good education, jobs and hospitals, they should vote for the AAP in the upcoming Assembly elections. On October 5, the people of Haryana are ready to write a new story, Mann said while addressing public meetings in Kalayat and Jakhal in the Kaithal and Fatehabad districts, respectively. "If you want good schools, good education, good hospitals, jobs... then press 'jharoo' (AAP's poll symbol)," he said. The 90-member Haryana Assembly is set to go to polls on October 5. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. The Congress on Thursday engaged in hectic consultations to explore the possibility of an alliance with AAP for the Haryana Assembly polls, even as some of its leaders expressed reservations over such a tie-up with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Addressing the gatherings, Mann claimed, "BJP was on way out in Haryana. Where is development? Corruption and unemployment are at pea