Page 150 - Congress

LS polls: Why the Congress choose to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli

Congress names Rahul Gandhi at the last minute, hoping to capitalise on his family decades-long domination in the seat

WB's industrial wealth threatened by Modi govt's capitalist policies: Cong

The Congress on Friday alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's "crony capitalist policies" and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a written guarantee that he will not sell public sector steel plants such as Durgapur to his "friends". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his Lok Sabha poll rallies in West Bengal. "Can the PM commit that he won't sell Durgapur Steel Plant to his friends? Why has the BJP failed to increase the MSP for paddy? Does the PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India's children?" Ramesh said in his post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's crony capitalist policies. "Amidst SAIL's privatisation drive and the PM's attempt to sell steel plants in Salem, Vishakhapatnam, Bhadravathi, and Bastar, there is a fear that Durgapur Steel Plant will

LS polls 2024: Priyanka hails Kishori Lal Sharma's candidature from Amethi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hailed the candidature of Kishori Lal Sharma from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, saying the Gandhi family has had a longstanding association with him. Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the seat to take on the BJP's Smriti Irani. Sharma was the key person who looked after the two prestigious constituencies on behalf of the Gandhis. "Our family has a long-standing relationship with Kishori Lal Sharma ji. He has always been engaged wholeheartedly in serving the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself," Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi. "Today, it is a matter of happiness that Shri Kishori Lal ji has been made the candidate from Amethi by the Congress Party. Kishori Lal ji's loyalty and dedication towards his duty will definitely bring him success in this election," the Congress general secretary said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been an MP f

From Feroze Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi: Rae Bareli's tryst with Congress

The surprise nomination of Rahul Gandhi from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli brings the focus back on the VVIP segment which was first represented in the Lok Sabha by the former Congress president's grandfather Feroze Gandhi, who held the seat in the first two elections after Independence. The strong foundations that Feroze Gandhi laid in the constituency were later nurtured and strengthened by his wife and former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who won from the seat in 1967, 1971 and 1980, followed by friends and family members of the Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi contested from two seats in 1980 -- Rae Bareli and Medak in Telangana -- and chose to retain the Medak seat. Arun Nehru won the 1980 bypoll and subsequently in 1984. From Arun Nehru, who was late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's right-hand man, to Sheila Kaul, another Gandhi kin, Rae Bareli returned several of the Gandhi family members and aides to the Lok Sabha. The seat was held by Congress' R P Singh in the 1960 bypoll after the

CPI(M)'s Talukdar 'blames' Cong for lack of Oppn unity in Barpeta

Blaming Congress for "failing" to put up a united candidate in Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency, where another opposition party TMC too is contesting, CPI(M) nominee Manoranjan Talukdar feared that anti-BJP vote will be divided and it may create "some difficulties" for him. Talukdar, however, expressed optimism that he will give a "tough fight" against all opponents and will win the election from Barpeta, which has become a Hindu-majority seat after the delimitation exercise last year. "This is unfortunate and Congress is only responsible for what happened in the constituency. We had talked about contesting from Barpeta a long time ago... A wrong message has gone because of the opposition parties fighting separately," he told PTI in an interview here. From the ruling front, AGP has nominated senior leader, former minister and sitting Bongaigaon MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury to contest from Barpeta. Congress nominated its state Seva Dal chief Deep Bayan, while TMC has named Abul Kalam Aza

Congress founded on Hinduism and its tenet of truth, says Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said her party was founded on the tenets of Hinduism, the cornerstone of which was truth. Addressing a Lok Sabha poll rally in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, she said the ruling dispensation was using religion to garner votes. "Our tradition is of mahatmas (saints). Our (Congress') political foundation was laid by Mahatma Gandhi, who fought the British. Congress is based on what the Hindu religion teaches. Mahatma Gandhi taught us to walk on the path of truth," she said. India attained Independence due to this truth and the religion of the party that is in power must be service to the nation and its people, she asserted. "This is our tradition. But in the last 10 years you have garnered votes in the name of religion to stay in power," she said in a swipe at the BJP. Asserting that every citizen was religious, the Congress leader said her grandmother Indira Gandhi taught her how to do puja, adding that she went to the temple .

Lok Sabha elections: Will do better than in 2019, says Digvijaya Singh

Digvijaya Singh tells about his last election and Congress' chances of winning in the state

LS polls: Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh's last, big battle

The Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency had been a Congress bastion earlier but has overwhelmingly turned towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last few elections

LS polls: History, law behind candidates contesting 2 seats simultaneously

Over the years, the Election Commission has backed arguments that candidates should be restricted to contesting from one seat

PM Modi hits out at Congress party, calls it 'mureed' of Pakistan

Addressing public meetings in Gujarat's Junagadh and Anand, the PM said he wishes to win the LS polls not for achieving his ambition but accomplishing "Modi's mission"

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Polls highlights: BJP names Dinesh Pratap Singh from Rae Bareli, Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj

General Elections 2024: Catch all the latest news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

Rahul will be forced to take out 'Cong dhoondho yatra' after June 4: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he started his party's campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra that will end with a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra,' suggesting that the party will get a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing an election rally here, Shah alleged that Rahul, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and SP's Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya fearing this may alienate their vote bank. "The 'shehzade' (prince) of 'ghamandia' INDI Alliance started his election campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra but on June 4 (counting day), it will end with a 'Congress Dhoondho Yatra'," Shah said. "In the first two phases, Congress is nowhere, while Narendra Modi has made a century and taken a lead in the '400 race' (race to 400 seats)," he said. He said that this election is for ending terrorism and Naxalism and making India the third major economy globally. Shah hit out at the INDIA bloc partne

LS polls: Rahul Gandhi may contest from Amethi; announcement likely tonight

Amid the suspense over Congress nominees from Amethi and Rae Bareli, sources Thursday indicated that Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest from the seat he lost last time. With Friday being the last date of filing of nominations, the party is expected to announce its candidates from the two prestigious constituencies tonight. The sources said the party has started making preparations for the nomination filing in both the seats in Uttar Pradesh, which have been traditionally held by members of the Gandhi-Nehru family. They added that Rahul Gandhi is the most likely choice of the party for Amethi, a seat he lost to Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi is also likely to attend the nomination filing Friday, the sources said. They also said that the Congress has prepared an alternative plan in case Priyanka Gandhi Vadra does not contest from Rae Bareli, adding a grandson of former Congress leader and Indira Gandhi's aunt Sheila Kaul may

'PM Modi snatching away reservation and govt jobs', says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP government is snatching reservations from Dalits, tribals, and backward classes by implementing 'blind privatisation'

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Low turnout, apathy a worry for the BJP's campaign

The last major opinion poll had predicted that the BJP and its allies could win three-fourths of parliament's 543 seats at stake on the back of Modi's popularity

'400 paar' joke, '300 paar' impossible, 200 paar challenge for BJP: Tharoor

The BJP's claim of '400 paar' is a joke, '300 paar' impossible and even '200 paar' may be a challenge in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said, terming the ruling party's loss a foregone conclusion. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, Tharoor also claimed the BJP will draw a blank in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and will do worse than its 2019 performance in the South. Tharoor, who was locked in a three-way contest with Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP and P Raveendran of the CPI in Thiruvananthapuram where polling took place on April 26, said he is looking at a "very comfortable win". If he emerges victorious, it will be a fourth consecutive win for the author-politician from Thiruvananthapuram, who is the longest-serving MP from the constituency. Back in Delhi after a nearly two month high voltage campaign in Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress Working Committee member will now canvass in other parts of

BJP govt has made Gujarat hub for drug traffickers from Pak, alleges Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan and asked what is Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing to confront the rise of drug smuggling in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rallies in Gujarat. "Who is the PM protecting in the rampant drug smuggling trade into Gujarat? Who is responsible for the lakhs of families affected by inaccurate land records? Why is Gujarat still suffering from water shortage after all these years of BJP rule?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan. "Just a few days ago, the Indian Coast Guard, Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized a Pakistani boat carrying 86 kg of heroin (worth Rs 600 crore) off the coast of Gujarat. Two days prior, mephedrone val

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LS polls highlights: PM sought votes for Revanna, did not stop him from leaving, says Priyanka

General Elections 2024: Catch all the highlights on the Lok Sabha polls here