Page 171 - Congress

Congress will decide about making me CM in future: Dy CM DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the Congress will decide about making him the Chief Minister in future, bringing to the fore again the issue of leadership change. There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister's post after the Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy Chief Minister. There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years but they have not been officially confirmed by the party. During a temple visit here, a priest prayed that God's blessings may be showered on Shivakumar, and he became the Chief Minister. Speaking to reporters here in Uttara Kannada district, Shivakumar, who has in the past made no secret of his ambition to become Chief Minister, amid speculations of change in guard

We're sitting on ticking bomb of joblessness, have plan to give jobs: Cong

Attacking the Centre over the issue of unemployment, the Congress on Wednesday claimed the country is sitting on a "ticking bomb" of joblessness with the youth bearing the brunt of the Modi government's "apathy" and asserted that it has a concrete plan for providing jobs to them. Citing the India Employment Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of Human Development (IHD), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged people to remember before voting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to provide 20 crore jobs in 10 years but "snatched more than 12 crore jobs from the youth". "Our Youth is bearing the brunt of Modi government's pathetic apathy, as ever-rising Unemployment has destroyed their future. ILO & IHD Report conclusively says that the Unemployment problem is grim in India," he said. "They are conservative, we are sitting on a 'ticking bomb' of joblessness!" Kharge said in a post on X. "But the Modi government's Chief ...

LS polls: Congress likely to announce candidates for 4 Jharkand seats

The Congress is likely to announce names of its candidates for the Ranchi, Lohardaga, Khunti and Hazaribag Lok Sabha seats on Wednesday, a senior party leader said. The names are likely to be announced after the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in New Delhi. "The names of the candidates for Ranchi, Lohardaga, Khunti and Hazaribag Lok Sabha seats are likely to be announced today. We are going to participate in the meeting in Delhi, and the final list is likely to be issued after the CEC meeting and the screening committee meeting this evening," Congress legislature party leader Alamgir Alam told PTI before leaving for Delhi. He said a final decision on seat sharing among the INDIA bloc allies is also likely to be taken during the day, and accordingly the names of candidates will be announced. Leaders of the bloc said that a seat-sharing agreement has been finalised for all the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. As per the agreement, the Congress would contest

Alliance with UBT Sena may prove self-destructive for Cong: Sanjay Nirupam

Nirpuam who had represented Mumbai North in 2009 in the Lok Sabha said that the decision of the Shiv Sena to field candidates in Mumbai, is meant to side-line the Congress

Youth understands BJP can't provide employment, says Cong leader Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday attacked the Centre over the issue of unemployment, saying the youth has understood that the BJP cannot provide employment and her party has a concrete plan for providing jobs to them. Citing the India Employment Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of Human Development (IHD), Gandhi pointed out that out of the total unemployed people in India, 83 per cent are youth. "The share of educated youth in the total unemployed was 35.2% in 2000. In 2022, it has almost doubled to 65.7%," she said. "On the other hand, the Prime Minister's Chief Economic Advisor is saying that 'the government cannot solve the problem of unemployment'," the Congress general secretary said. This is the truth of the BJP government, she added. "Today every youth of the country has understood that BJP cannot provide employment. Congress Party has a concrete plan to provide employment to the youth," she said. Gandh

Highlights: Congress releases 7th list of five candidates for LS polls

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Atal Pension Yojana poorly designed, says Cong; FM Sitharaman hits back

Hours after the Congress dubbed the Centre's Atal Pension Yojana as a "poorly-designed scheme" that "hoodwinks and coerces" people into participating in it, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit back at the grand old party accusing it of "hoodwinking" people in the name of vote bank politics. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Atal pension scheme is a "fitting representation of the Modi Government's policy making: headline management, with few benefits actually reaching the people". His attack came after a media report claimed that nearly one of three subscribers who dropped out of the Centre's pension scheme for unorganised sector, did so because their accounts were opened without their "explicit" permission. The report cited a recent sample study by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). "The 'flagship' Atal Pension Yojana is a very poorly-designed scheme, a paper tiger that needs officials to hoodwink and coerce people into participatin

What are the speed-breakers faced by Indian gig-workers on the fast lane?

The Congress party has recently promised to bring in a new law for the gig and platform economy. Take a look at the lives of gig workers as they navigate through an unregulated sector

Lok Sabha polls: BJP candidate from Rajasthan's Nagaur files nomination

BJP candidate from Nagaur Lok Sabha seat Jyoti Mirdha on Tuesday filed her nomination papers for the elections. Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar was present at the time of nomination filing in the collectorate here. Mirdha, a former Congress MP from Nagaur who joined the BJP ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, is pitted against RLP convener Hanuman Beniwal who is contesting the elections in alliance with the Congress. Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. Nagaur is among 12 Lok Sabha seats where elections will be held in the first phase on April 19. The last date of filing nomination papers for the first phase is March 27. Scrutiny will be held on March 28 and the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers is March 30. In the first phase, voting will be held in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies of Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur on April 19. The remain

Tale of two crossovers

Many ethical, competent corporate leaders aspire to join public life today. However, the transition to politics is far from easy

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LIVE: Congress releases sixth list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls

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Cong lists 'failures' of WCD, says will usher era of women's safety in June

The Congress on Monday listed "massive failures" of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in the last 10 years and asserted that a new era of women's safety, prosperity, and development will begin when its government "takes charge in June". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the formation of a Congress-led government in June 2024 will end the "10 years of anyaay-kaal for women". He alleged the BJP government's slogans of 'nari shakti' remain empty words without real action. For 10 years, the WCD Ministry has seen only "incompetence, apathy, and an anti-women mindset," Ramesh said. "While minister Smriti Irani herself remains silent as women across India are assaulted, waking up only for crimes in Opposition-ruled states, her ministry diverts funds away from necessary schemes and hardworking women," he claimed. Ramesh alleged that the five "massive failures" of the ministry are: "crimes against women and children have doubled; shrinki

Kangana has done good work in films, but this is politics: Vikramaditya

The seat is Pratibha Singh's seat in the outgoing Lok Sabha, however the state Congress Chief has declined to contest the polls

LS polls: BJP's Narayana Gowda is in touch with Cong, says cabinet minister

Amid reports of some disgruntlement within BJP over ceding Mandya Lok Sabha seat to alliance partner JD(S), Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Monday claimed BJP leader and former Minister K C Narayana Gowda is in touch with the Congress. As part of the seat-sharing deal with the BJP, JD(S) will be contesting Kolar, Hassan and Mandya seats. Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by BJP, won the 2019 general elections in Mandya. "Yes, we have spoken to Narayana Gowda, he is in touch with us. At the earliest he along with several supporters of veteran leader from K R Pete -- late Krishna, who were earlier with the Congress and due to various reasons had gone along with Narayana Gowda together, are likely to join us," Cheluvarayaswamy, who is in-charge Minister of Mandya district, said. Speaking to reporters here, he said they may come into the Congress fold without any conditions and accepting the party's ideology and, after joining, the party will decide on who

Self-serving politics of BJP: Cong slams for withholding funds for K'taka

The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of withholding funds that should "rightfully" go to Karnataka, saying the people of the state are being made to pay the price just because they exercised their democratic right to elect a Congress government. Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly trying to "throttle" the finances of India's states. His remarks came after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged in a post on X that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is consistently denying the written word. "The interim report of the 15 FC (Finance Commission) for 2020-21 sanctioned Rs 6764 crores for three states, viz Karnataka (Rs 5495 crores), Telangana (Rs 723 crores) & Mizoram (Rs 546 crores)," Siddaramaiah said. "These grants were recommended not because of any special love for these states. These were recommended to ensure that no state receives a lower share in devolution in ...

Assam MLA Bharat Chandra Narah quits Cong after wife fails to get LS ticket

Bharat Chandra Narah, the MLA of Nowboicha in Assam's Lakhimpur district, resigned from the Congress on Monday. The resignation comes two days after Congress announced Uday Shankar Hazarika as its candidate for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat. Narah was hopeful that his party would nominate his wife Ranee Narah, a former Union Minister, for the seat. He sent a one-line resignation letter, which he shared with PTI, to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. "I do hereby resign from the Indian National Congress with immediate effect," the MLA said in the letter. On Sunday, Narah resigned from the post of the chairman of Assam Congress' media cell.

PM Modi made 'corrupt-mukt Congress': Ramesh after Naveen Jindal joins BJP

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP soon after industrialist Naveen Jindal joined the party and said this had to happen "when you need a giant size washing machine". "When you need a giant-size washing machine, this had to happen. And after making ZERO contributions to the party in the last ten years, saying I am resigning from it is a big joke," Ramesh said in a post on X soon after Jindal joined the BJP. The Congress leader also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The PM wanted a Congress-mukt Bharat. Instead he has made a Corrupt-mukt Congress by deploying so many washing machines along with the ED and the CBI to force corrupt Congressmen to flee to his embrace!" he said in another post. Jindal, who represented Kurukshetra constituency in the Lok Sabha from 2004-14 as a Congress MP, announced his resignation on X just before he joined the BJP. "I represented the Congress Party in the Parliament as an MP from Kurukshetra for 10 years. I thank

Caste census only way to ensure equal opportunity for all, says Congress

The Congress on Sunday asserted that a caste census is the only way to ensure equal opportunity for all in the country. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said caste has been a socio-economic reality of Indian society for centuries. "We cannot deny caste-based discrimination in India and the disadvantages imposed by caste at birth," he said in a post on X. "To make the distribution of economic growth more equitable, we need a survey of the ownership of assets and the representation of people in the institutions of our democracy," Ramesh said. Therefore, what is needed is a caste census combined with a survey of national assets and governance systems, which is updated from time to time, he asserted in the post on X. "This survey of caste groups, national assets, and representation in governance systems -- collectively called a comprehensive socio-economic caste census -- is the only solution to ensure an India with equal opportunity for all," the Congress leader said using the

Congress replaces candidate in Jaipur LS seat, fields Pratap Khachariyawas

The Congress on Sunday replaced its candidate for the Jaipur Lok Sabha seat, fielding former Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas after a section of party leaders objected to Sunil Sharma's nomination. Sharma's candidate sparked controversy over his alleged association with the 'Jaipur Dialogue', which is critical of the Congress on social media. Sharma, however, asserted that he has had no association with the organisation and has been invited by it occasionally to present the Congress' view. Sources said local opposition led to the change. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal stated that the party has fielded Murari Lal Meena as its candidate in the Dausa Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan. It also fielded Pratibha Suresh Dhanorkar from the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.