Page 202 - Congress

T'gana assembly poll success can be replicated in Goa: Cong leader Thakre

Newly-appointed AICC in-charge of Goa Manikrao Thakre on Wednesday said the Congress's recent electoral success in Telangana can be replicated in the coastal state currently ruled by the BJP. Thakre was in-charge of Telangana, where the Congress stormed to power last month after assembly polls, before he was given the responsibility of Goa and Dadra Nagar Haveli. Asked whether he can replicate Telangana's poll success in Goa for the Congress, the former Maharashtra minister contended there was no magic as sheer hard work and dedication by party workers and leaders led to the victory in the southern state. "Whatever experience I have got in Telangana that can be brought to Goa and put to use to help leaders here win elections," he said. Thakre said he worked in Telangana for 11 months, building the organisation which resulted in the assembly poll victory. Talking about Goa, where the Congress is out of power for more than a decade, Thakre said the party will have to unitedly fight

Amid seat-sharing dispute, Mamata asserts TMC to stay with INDIA bloc

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asserted that it will remain part of the INDIA bloc in the fight against the BJP, days after fissures appeared in the alliance over seat-sharing disagreement between her party and the Congress in West Bengal. Banerjee conveyed her stance during a closed-door organisational meeting of the TMC's West Midnapore district unit. "Our party supremo clearly stated that the TMC would remain in the INDIA bloc in the fight against the BJP. Although critical of the CPI(M), she did not utter a single word against the Congress," said a senior TMC official present in the meeting, who did not wish to be named. The CPI(M), Congress and the TMC collectively constitute the 28-party strong INDIA bloc. However, in West Bengal, the CPI(M) and Congress have allied against the TMC and BJP. Banerjee's statement follows TMC's Lok Sabha Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay's recent remark that the party has an "open heart" for the Congress regarding seat-sharing in West ..

Congress turns down Ayodhya invite, terms it BJP-RSS political project

Congress's response to Hindutva politics inconsistent in recent years. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress social media team highlighted the party's role in construction of the Ram temple

'Will regret': BJP after Sonia, Kharge, Adhir Ranjan decline invitation

BJP's reaction came hours after the Congress said that Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not be attending the Ram mandir opening ceremony

Congress not even eligible to be Opposition party: BJP chief Nadda

BJP national president JP Nadda criticised the Congress on Wednesday, stating that they are "not eligible" to even be the opposition party in the country due to their response to the recent Maldives controversy. Addressing party workers during the executive meeting of Assam BJP, Nadda criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's reaction to the recent statement by three Maldivian ministers. Nadda said, "They (Congress) were not capable of running a government. Now, they are not even eligible to be an opposition party." On the recent spat on social media with Maldives, Kharge had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking everything personally. Nadda also criticised opposition alliance INDIA, claiming that it was formed to protect the black money and the families of the leaders of the respective parties. "All the leaders involved have CBI cases against them. It's an alliance formed for personal gains. It has no relation to India," he emphasised. Regarding the Congress' .

Ram Mandir inauguration: Sonia, Kharge, Adhir Ranjan decline invitation

Ram Mandir: Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have declined the invitation, calling the Ram mandir inauguration a 'RSS/BJP event' organised for 'electoral gain'

Seat-sharing talks with AAP likely to be held in Jan 12 meeting: Congress

Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely on Wednesday said the key discussions on seat-sharing between his party and the AAP to fight the Lok Sabha elections together from Delhi will take place in the next meeting likely to be held on January 12. Lovely said that no discussion on seat-sharing took place in the first meeting held on January 8 and added it was the first time that the Delhi Congress and the AAP came together for a discussion. "No discussion on seat-sharing has taken place yet. Media reports stating the AAP offered three seats to the Congress is incorrect. The meeting held on December 8 was the first time we came together for a discussion and various strategies to fight the elections were discussed," Lovely told PTI. "Seat-sharing will most likely be discussed in the next meeting," he added. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) maintained its stand on contesting in an alliance with the Congress in five states, including Punjab, and the discussion has so far been positive, .

No state govt nod for venue of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra': Manipur Congress

The Congress on Wednesday claimed that the Manipur government has declined to give its nod for the venue where the party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is scheduled to begin on January 14. Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Keisham Megachandra termed the state government's decision as "unfortunate" and a "violation of people's rights". However, no comment from the state government is available. Megachandra said, "We met Chief Minister N Biren Singh and sought permission for the venue of 'Bharat Joro Nyay Yatra' at Hatta Kangjeibung in Imphal East district from where the rally is scheduled to be flagged off. However, the chief minister has declined to permit the same." A Congress delegation met Singh at the CM Secretariat. The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is scheduled to traverse 6,713 km in buses and on foot. It will cover 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly segments in 66 days. According to the proposed programme, it will culminate on March 20 in Mumbai. The .

Manipur denies permission to Congress to launch Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

'Unfavourable situation' in Manipur were cited as the reason for the rejection of Congress rally ahead of the Lok Sabha elections

Congress wants to relaunch, rebrand Rahul: BJP mocks Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday said that Rahul Gandhi's yatra is an effort to "re-position" the Congress party

Govt should bring laws to regulate ownership of news organisations: Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday came out with a slew of suggestions, including laws to regulate ownership of news organisations by a political or business entity, to ensure responsible journalism and a free press in the country. Speaking at the N Ramachandran Foundation award ceremony here, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said India was one of the few countries in the world where there were no regulations with regard to the ownership of media by a private individual. "The government must introduce laws and regulations that limit control of multiple news organisations by a single business or political entity whereby encouraging a robust and independent press in the country," he said. Tharoor said media in India largely had a "cavalier attitude towards facts" and was "reluctant to issue corrections". Referring to his own personal experiences with the media and his decision to opt for legal recourse over allegations in the press against him, Tharoor said, "Once character can be ...

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Days after taking oath, Rajasthan minister loses bypoll to Cong candidate

BJP's Surendra Pal Singh lost to Congress' Rupinder Singh Koonar by 11,283 votes in the Sri Ganganagar's Karanpur Assembly bypoll

ED raids premises of Karnataka Cong MLA Nanjegowda in money laundering case

The premises of Karnataka Congress MLA K Y Nanjegowda and some of his linked entities were raided on Monday morning by the Enforcement Directorate as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. The 61-year-old legislator represents the Malur assembly seat in Kolar district. The officials of the central agency are covering the MLA's premises and those of his linked entities in Malur and Kolar as part of a investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The ED case of money laundering is understood to have been filed on the basis of some local police FIRs related to alleged irregularities in the appointment of staff in the Kolar-Chikkaballapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (KOMUL), of which he is the president, and some other charges. The office and plant of the milk cooperative in Kolar are also being searched, the sources said. As per KOMUL, it is Karnataka's second highest milk producing district ...

Cong slams Guj BJP govt as SC quashes remission order in Bilkis Bano case

With the Supreme Court quashing the remission granted to 11 convicts in the case of gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members, the Congress on Monday claimed the Gujarat BJP government's approach was to save the criminals rather than ensuring justice for the victim. Human rights lawyer Anand Yagnik said the Gujarat government's decision (to grant remission to the convicts) was not in conformity with law but something that appeared to have been passed under certain "social, religious and political pressure". With the Supreme Court's judgment, the rule of law has prevailed, he said. Bilkis Bano was 21-years-old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident in 2002. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots. All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022. The SC on Monday

True power of Shri Ram: Karnataka BJP reacts to Cong circular for temples

The BJP further said that Ram bhakts have pushed Congress to the brink making them realise their end is near

Cong releases list of coordinators for 539 Lok Sabha seats ahead of polls

The Congress on Sunday released a list of coordinators for 539 Lok Sabha constituencies who will assess the political situation in their respective areas and give feedback to the leadership. The announcement comes as the principal opposition party steps up preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Congress party has just released the list of coordinators covering 539 Parliamentary constituencies with 4 more to come soon." "Hain Taiyaar Hum! Badlega Bharat. Jeetega INDIA!" At a press conference on Saturday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said that the party would decide in the coming days on how many seats it would contest but in all the 500-plus constituencies, it had finalised its observers. He said the exact number of seats would be known only after negotiations with INDIA bloc partners. "We are trying to put our efforts everywhere, because today we are thinking we are getting 'A' seat but our alliance .

Chhattisgarh: Cong joins protest against coal mine projects in Hasdeo area

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij on Sunday alleged the newly-elected BJP government is working in the interest of corporates and trees are being chopped in bio-diversity rich Hasdeo Arand area for a coal mine extension project. Baij and several Congress workers joined villagers in Hariharpur in Surguja district in an ongoing protest against coal mine projects. Hasdeo-Arand coalfield spread over a 1,878 sq km area in Korba, Surguja and Surajpur districts in the northern part of the state, is located about 300 km from Raipur. The region is called as 'lungs of Chhattisgarh' for its rich forest. "During campaigning for elections last year, Rahul Gandhi had said if people press the lotus (BJP's symbol) button on the EVM, Adani will come out from the VVPAT and this statement has proved to be true after the formation of the BJP government in the state," Baij told protesters. He alleged the Vishnu Deo Sai government has started handing over natural resources including jal, jungle, .

Congress deplores arrest of 2 editors in Manipur, demands their release

The Congress on Sunday strongly deplored the reported arrest of two editors of vernacular newspapers in Manipur and demanded their immediate release, alleging a "double engine assault" by the Modi government and the Manipur dispensation on the state. In a statement, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that in yet another crackdown on press freedom, two editors from two language newspapers have been arrested by the Manipur government. On December 31, 2023, the BJP-controlled police arrested Wangkhemcha Shyamjai, the editor of vernacular daily Kangleipaki Meira, for allegedly publishing "provocative news", Khera said. On January 5, the Manipur Police also arrested Meitei language newspaper Hueiyen Lanpao's editor Dhanabir Maibam for "promoting enmity on the ground of religion and race", the Congress leader said. In a joint statement, the All-Manipur Journalists' Union, of which Shyamjai was a former chief, and the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) condemned his .

Cong resurrection improbable in near future if not impossible, claims book

The India of the last decade has left the Congress-run India so far behind that it has become an existential crisis for the party to resurrect itself enough to even remain as principal opposition, let alone return to power, claims a new book. In "What If There Was No Congress: The Uncensored History of Independent India", political communicator Priyam Gandhi-Mody takes a look at how different India would have been, if there was no Congress at the helm for the most part of the last 80 years. The book, published by Rupa, revisits some of the key events that shaped India's political history over the last 80 years - Partition, Kashmir, governance, scams, democracy and its interruptions, economic policy, intellectual colonisation and foreign policy - and also seeks to provide a roadmap to the India of tomorrow. "The people of the country continue to choose progress over corruption, truth over manufactured lies, security over terrorism and growth over stagnation. In my opinion, the ...