Page 2 - Congress

Congress protests nomination rejection as EC agrees to hear Natarajan plea

Congress leaders staged a protest outside the Election Commission office after Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination was rejected, with the poll body agreeing to meet a party delegation

Ujjwala refill cuts show 12 years of 'anti-poor policies', says Rahul

In a scathing attack on the government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said 12 years of "anti-poor" economic policies and a "compromised" foreign policy have pushed the country into such a dire situation that lakhs of poor families and women have been forced to bear the "poisonous smoke of firewood stoves". Gandhi's criticism of the government came over its reduction of the number of subsidised refills of LPG gas cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. "Twelve years of anti-poor economic policies and a compromised foreign policy have today pushed the country into such a dire situation where lakhs of poor families and women have been forced to bear the poisonous smoke of firewood stoves," he said in a post in Hindi on X. "The number of subsidized cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme has been reduced from nine to four and on top of that, the price of domestic LPG cylinders has been increased by Rs 89 in the last 3 months -- meaning, first hike the prices, then cut th

Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination rejected

The Returning Officer rejected the Congress candidate's nomination after a BJP objection alleging non-disclosure of a Telangana court matter in her affidavit

Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan's RS poll nomination rejected

The upcoming elections to three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh took a dramatic turn on Tuesday with the nomination of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan being rejected on charges of concealing information about a case in the affidavit. "Natarajan's nomination has been rejected by the Returning Officer on the grounds of hiding information about a case," an MP Assembly official told PTI. A complaint was submitted by BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat, contesting the third Rajya Sabha seat, to the Returning Officer alleging that Natarajan deliberately hid information about a case filed against her in Telangana. Sanket Gupta, the lawyer representing Kewat, told reporters that a criminal case is pending against Natarajan in a Telangana court and is not mentioned in the affidavit. He said the Returning Officer has rejected her nomination on this basis. "This information has been deliberately concealed. According to Supreme Court guidelines, you are required to provide this information

Kharge calls for unity in INDIA bloc to confront challenges facing country

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged opposition leaders to strengthen unity to confront the political, economic, social and foreign policy challenges facing the country due to the Modi government's "misgovernance". Addressing a meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc here, Kharge charged that the assault on the Constitution continues and probe agencies are persistently being used as tools to harass, intimidate, and bully political opponents. He also highlighted that the economic environment is extremely negative and new investments are not coming in at the pace required to generate new jobs. The Congress chief also pointed out to the "complete mismanagement" of the examination system due to which the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of youth are being betrayed. Batting for unity among opposition leaders, he said, "On April 17, 2026, we demonstrated our unity and solidarity in the Lok Sabha in a very decisive manner, when we all came together firmly to defeat the Modi ..

INDIA bloc meets today amid strains over Congress ties and poll setbacks

With 23 parties confirming attendance, the INDIA bloc will review poll results and Parliament strategy amid tensions with key allies DMK and CPI(M)

DMK rules out alliance with Cong; challenges rivals to local polls by Jan

DMK leader R S Bharathi rules out any future tie-up with Congress, challenges rivals ahead of local polls and dismisses TVK's rise as a temporary phenomenon

Dharmendra Pradhan's continuation as Edu Min an insult to students: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must take responsibility for the lapses in CBSE on-screen marking (OSM), calling his continuation in office an insult to lakhs of students and their families. Pradhan's continuation in office only speaks of his desire for power, the Congress remarked and accused him of being "incompetent" in running a "compromised ministry". In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said after weeks of denying any wrongdoing and claiming that all is well with its COEMPT's On Mark portal, the CBSE has finally been forced to acknowledge COEMPT's incompetence. He cited media reports in this regard that claimed that after initial denial, the CBSE invited an ethical hacker to plug gaps in the IT system. "It began with a public acknowledgment of the data breach (months after the cybersecurity vulnerabilities were reported by 19-year-old Nisarga Adhikary), and has now become even more painfully clear, as reports emerge that

Min Ramalinga Reddy's resignation issue resolved: Karnataka CM Shivakumar

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar early on Saturday said that the crisis triggered by Minister Ramalinga Reddy's resignation over portfolio allocation has been resolved after marathon discussions with the senior Congress leader. Shivakumar met Reddy for nearly two-and-a-half hours at a private hotel in Jayanagar late on Friday night amid efforts by the Congress leadership to persuade the veteran leader to withdraw his resignation. The meeting went on till the wee hours of Saturday. Senior Congress leaders and some of Reddy's close associates were also involved in the discussions. "This is a family matter. We will all sit together and talk. Everything has been resolved," Shivakumar told reporters after emerging from the meeting around 1.30 am. "He has expressed his grievance; it was a case of miscommunication. Something has happened, and we will sort it out. Don't worry, we will run everything first-class. We have given opportunities to all senior leaders, and we will set ...

Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy resigns over portfolio allocation

Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy on Friday announced that he will tender his resignation from the post of minister, expressing displeasure over allocation of portfolio. The minister said he wanted the Bengaluru Development portfolio but was made minister for Major and Medium Irrigation projects. The resignation comes after Chief Minister D K Shivakumar allotted the portfolios on Thursday night. "I am resigning from my post because I cannot work against conscience," Reddy said at a press conference here. He said, "How long can I tolerate this humiliation and what else were options before me?" This was a major setback for the Shivakumar government, which came to power on Wednesday. The Congress leadership made a last ditch attempt in the middle of the press conference to persuade the disgruntled minister, but he remained firm in his decision. He told the leaders who approached him with the party leadership's message that the time is now lapsed to pay heed to any suggestions.

DK Shivakumar takes oath as Karnataka CM; 13 ministers to join cabinet

State Congress President D K Shivakumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Lok Bhavan here. Shivakumar took the oath in the name of revered seer "Gangadhar Ajja", while holding a copy of the Constitution. Thirteen ministers, including a Deputy CM will take the oath along with Shivakumar. Shivakumar, a 64-year-old Vokkaliga strongman, was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on May 30, following Siddaramaiah's resignation as CM on May 28. Shivakumar had served as Deputy Chief Minister under Siddaramaiah. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, outgoing CM Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, CMs of Congress ruled states, several top Congress leaders, dignitaries, and invitees were present at the swearing-in. Religious leaders from all major communities, incl

The laborious road ahead for D K Shivakumar on jobs, growth and welfare

From delivering welfare promises to scripting a Congress comeback in 2028, the new CM will have his hands full. Archis Mohan writes

D K Shivakumar meets Karnataka Guv ahead of CLP meeting to elect new leader

The Congress Legislature Party is scheduled to meet on Saturday evening here to elect its new leader, who will succeed Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar, who served as Deputy CM under Siddaramaiah, is widely expected to be elected as the new leader of the CLP. Siddaramaiah's resignation as Chief Minister was accepted and the Council of Ministers was dissolved by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday. All lawmakers have been asked to attend the CLP meeting at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha's conference hall, which will be overseen by AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. According to sources, Siddaramaiah himself will propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader, or a one-line resolution may be passed authorising the Congress high command to choose the next leader. The swearing-in of the new Chief Minister is likely on Sunday or Monday, and it may be held on the iconic grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, official sources said. There

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has decided to resign: Senior Cong MLA Deshpande

Senior Congress MLA and Chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission R V Deshpande on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told him he had decided to resign. The former minister, who met Siddaramaiah at his residence, said that when some MLAs insisted he should not resign, the CM replied that he had given his word to the high command and would respect it. According to sources, a number of ministers and legislators met Siddaramaiah at his residence and held discussions with him. They insisted he should not resign and said they would discuss the matter with the party high command. As per reports, some even suggested the matter be discussed at a legislature party meeting, but Siddaramaiah did not respond positively to any such suggestions. "I was with the CM. He said, 'I have decided to resign.' He has decided to resign. I did not question him about why he was resigning. We tried to persuade him, saying, 'Why don't you continue?'" Deshpande said. Speaking to repor

Congress' delicate balancing act in managing Kerala's power equations

The Congress' central leadership announced Satheesan's name as Kerala's 13th CM on May 14

V D Satheesan meets Sonia, Rahul during first Delhi visit as Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Saturday met top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during his first visit to Delhi after assuming office. Satheesan also called on AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the visit. The chief minister, who arrived in the national capital late on Friday night, thanked the Congress high command for its support during the Assembly election campaign, party sources said. According to sources, organisational matters and things related to the functioning of the newly formed UDF government in Kerala figured prominently in the discussions with senior leaders. The visit also comes amid discussions within the Congress over the appointment of a new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. There were indications that the CM may also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an available day next week, though there was no immediate officia

A 'balanced' chief minister: Kerala's new CM faces a tough balancing act

There's no denying that the new Kerala CM is swimming in a sea of sharks. He must prove that he can fend them off

PM, Education min must be held accountable: Cong on NTA claims on NEET exam

The Congress on Friday said it was shocked over claims made by top NTA officials that the NEET exam paper was "not leaked", and said both the 'Pradhan Mantri' and the 'Mantri Pradhan' must be held accountable for this "cover-up". The Congress also said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has become a "National Trauma Agency" and accused the government of colluding with the paper leak mafia to suppress the truth of irregularities and fraud. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said a "guess paper" featuring questions that appeared in the actual exam was circulating among students much before the exam date. "Since the NTA was formed in 2018, the Modi Government and its ecosystem have been colluding with the paper leak mafia to suppress the truth of rampant irregularities and fraud in NTA-conducted exams," he alleged in his post. "Today we have learnt from media reports that the NTA Director General claimed yesterday to a Parliamentar

Cong joins TN govt, CM Vijay expands Cabinet by inducting 23 more ministers

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday expanded his Cabinet by inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress, which marked the return of the grand old party to governance in Tamil Nadu after almost 60 years. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Lok Bhavan and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the minister-designates. TVK MLAs, including Srinath, S Kamali, C Vijayalakshmi and R V Ranjithkumar were initially sworn-in as ministers. Congress party's S Rajesh Kumar, representing Killiyoor, and P Viswanathan, who won from Melur segment, took oath as ministers. AICC incharge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, said the inclusion of his party MLAs in the Cabinet heralded a "turning point" in the political history of Tamil Nadu. "Congress cadres have been striving for power for the last 59 years and have been working for it with loyalty and dedication. Now, they have got it," Chodankar told PTI ...

Sonia, Rahul, Kharge pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on 35th death anniversary

Senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, P Chidambaram, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mukul Wasnik, among other party members, also paid tribute to the former PM at Vir Bhumi