Page 208 - Congress

Top leaders of oppn INDIA bloc meet in Delhi, condemn suspension of MPs

A crucial meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc began in the national capital on Tuesday where top leaders were discussing the way forward, including seat-sharing, for taking on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The issue of suspension of 141 opposition MPs in both Houses of Parliament came up at the meeting with leaders cutting across party lines condemning the action against the members. "The leaders asserted that they will continue to fight against the tyranny of this government," a source said. Harping on putting up a united front, the Congress alleged that democracy is being "mercilessly murdered" and MPs who raise people's issues are suspended from the House. "In such an adverse situation, our unity is our strength," the party posted on X after the meeting began. The opposition leaders are deliberating on a blueprint for a joint campaign, seat-sharing arrangement and redrawing their strategy after the Congress suffered a setback in the recent assembly polls, where BJP

Purge being executed so that draconian bills passed without debate: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that a "complete purge" is being executed so that "draconian bills" are passed without any meaningful debate and the BJP MP "who facilitated entry of the two intruders" into the Lok Sabha on December 13 goes scot-free. The opposition party's attack came soon after 49 Lok Sabha MPs were suspended from the House for disrupting proceedings on Tuesday, a day after 78 opposition members were suspended from Parliament. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh underlined the suspension of Lok Sabha MPs Tuesday to allege that "a complete purge is being executed so that draconian bills are passed without any meaningful debate, and so that the BJP MP who facilitated entry of the two intruders into the Lok Sabha on December 13th goes scot-free". The MPs suspended on Tuesday include National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari. INDIA bloc MPs have been demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Sh

INDIA bloc should have 'charioteer' to steer it in LS polls: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday advised the Congress to take all allies together if it wants to strengthen the opposition INDIA bloc and pitched for appointing a "sarthi" (charioteer) to steer the alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' also suggested the Congress, which is celebrating completion of its 138 years, to resolve to win minimum 150 seats (on its own) in the general elections due next year. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), which is a constituent of the INDIA bloc, underlined that the results of the recent assembly polls in three states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - do not indicate ultimate win for the BJP. The opposition INDIA bloc will hold a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to deliberate on a blueprint for a joint campaign, seat sharing and redrawing the strategy for taking on the BJP in the 2024 general elections after the setback in the recent assembly polls. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool

INDIA bloc PM candidate to be decided after elections: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate will be decided after the 2024 general elections, expressing confidence that the alliance will iron out all issues including over seat-sharing and defeat the BJP. She also dismissed suggestions that the alliance has lost time in putting things in order, saying "it is better late than never". She expressed confidence that a three-way alliance is very much possible in West Bengal between her TMC, Congress and the Left. "The BJP is not strong, we are weak. We need to work together to overcome it," Banerjee told reporters here in reply to a question on the BJP's rising influence, especially in the Hindi belt. She also said she doesn't discriminate between the Hindi belt and other regions. On the suspension on opposition MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Banerjee said it shows the BJP is afraid. "Do you think they (the BJP) became so arrogant because they won two states...They're afraid s

BJP glorifying perpetrators of rape, turning Kashi into mall: UP Cong chief

The Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Rai has accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of "glorifying" perpetrators of rape and also turning Kashi into a shopping mall. Interacting with reporters at Mahadeva Mela here on Sunday, he said the BJP MLA from Duddhi was already facing trial for rape under the POCSO Act when his party gave the ticket to fight the polls and become a legislator. "This shows the BJP's thinking towards women. The perpetrators of rape are being glorified in the BJP government. The victim got justice from the court," the UP Congress chief said. An MP-MLA court of Sonbhadra on Friday sentenced BJP MLA from Duddhi assembly constituency Ramdular Gond to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a girl nine years ago. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh which will help in the victim's rehabilitation. Rai, who along with Congress office-bearers attended the closing ceremony of the Mahadeva Mela and performed Jalabhishek at Lodheshwar Mahadev ...

All you need to know about 'Donate for Desh' crowdfunding drive by Congress

Congress's 'Donate for Desh' crowdfunding asks donors to contribute in instalments of Rs 138, Rs 1,380 or Rs 13,800. The party said the campaign will help it stand as a formidable Opposition

Cong to finalise workers for key roles in state-run boards, corporations

Ruling Congress in Karnataka appears set to finalise the list of party legislators and workers to be appointed to key positions in various state-run boards and corporations, during the visit of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to New Delhi from Monday. Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said a list has already been sent to Congress high command for its approval. "We will definitely finalise it and come, we have already sent the list and proposal, as there were elections (in five states) and as there was Assembly (session) there was a delay. Both the Chief Minister and I are going, we will finalise and come," he told reporters here ahead of leaving for the national capital. Responding to a question on the Chief Minister reportedly getting an appointment to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he merely said, "okay, we will meet." According to the Chief Minister's tour plan shared with the media, he will be travelling to Delhi

Congress President Kharge launched crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched the party's crowdfunding campaign here, asking people to join the fight against unemployment and rising costs. Kharge donated a sum of Rs 1,38,000 from his salary to launch the "Donate for Desh" campaign in the presence of party leaders and general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh and treasurer Ajay Maken. "It is a very happy day that our party leaders have prepared an App. I feel this is the first time that the Congress is seeking the help of common people to build the country," he told reporters after the launch. As part of the campaign, the party will receive money from small donors, he said and added, "If you keep working by depending on the rich, then tomorrow we would have to agree to their programmes and policies". Kharge said the Congress is already working for the interests of the poor, Scheduled Castes, backwards and they have been helping us in the past too. "Through 'Donate for Desh', we will work to

After thaw, Opposition leaders to get hot on INDIA agenda for LS polls

Picking up the pieces: After the Assembly poll debacle, the Congress has become more receptive to other Opposition parties. This may aid reconciliation at the INDIA meet tomorrow. Archis Mohan writes

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Congress to hold CWC meeting to strategise for 2024 polls on Dec 21

The Congress has called a meeting of its working committee on December 21 to deliberate on the strategy for the 2024 general election and chalk out a plan to hit the ground running for its poll campaign to take on the BJP, sources said. The meeting, which will take place at the All India Congress Committee headquarters, would come two days after the INDIA bloc meeting on December 19 and seat sharing and campaign is likely to be top of the agenda, they said. The meeting is also likely to discuss the possibility of a yatra that Rahul Gandhi could undertake before the 2024 polls with unemployment and price rise as its main planks. An east-to-west yatra in hybrid mode, including on-foot, is being mulled by the party and a final decision is expected to be taken soon, the sources said. Ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting, the 4th meeting of the leaders of INDIA parties will be held at 3 pm on December 19 in New Delhi. Evolving a "core positive agenda", seat sharing and a ...

INDIA bloc's immediate task is to win Lok Sabha elections: P Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has termed the party's debacle in the recently held Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly polls as "unexpected" and "a matter of worry". In an exclusive interview to PTI, Chidambaram on Sunday said the BJP fights every election "as if it is the last battle" and that is what opposition parties "must realise". "BJP's victory in three states Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is a major boost for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The defeat of the Congress in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan was unexpected. The results are worrying and I believe the party's leadership will address the weaknesses," the former Union finance minister said. The veteran leader, however, said the party's 40 per cent vote share in the four big states - Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh and Telangana - where assembly elections were held recently "seems to be intact". Chidambaram said he is hopeful that the party's vote share might increase up to 45 per cent ahead

Mehngaai-nomics: Kharge slams govt over price rise of essential commodities

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the Centre over the rise in prices of essential commodities during the Modi government's tenure and wondered what kind of "developed India" is this. In a post on X, Kharge shared a video montage comparing the 2014 prices of essential items such as milk, onion, tomatoes, and sugar with their current prices to highlight inflation. "Mehngaai-nomics. What kind of 'viksit Bharat' is this'? Where the BJP has mastered looting," the Congress chief said in his post in Hindi. The Congress has been attacking the government over its handling of the economy and raising concerns over "increasing" unemployment and price rise.

Donate for dynasty: Kiren Rijiju slams Congress for crowdfunding campaign

Kiren Rijiju mentioned that Congress had to come up with this scheme after Income Tax department unearthed and seized the money found at the premises linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu

Precedent today to keep blaming democratically elected govt: K Kavitha

Kavitha said that though her party gave a 'Motion of Amendment' to the Governor's address but they withdrew it when the Telangana government said that they needed cooperation

Rahul Gandhi is God's gift to BJP: Maharashtra Dy CM Fadnavis takes dig

Drawing a contrast with BJP's approach, Fadnavis shared an interaction with BJP leader Amit Shah

Congress replaces Kamal Nath with Jitu Patwari as party's MP unit chief

The Congress replaced Kamal Nath as the party's Madhya Pradesh unit chief on Saturday and appointed Jitu Patwari in his place. The development comes days after the party's humiliating defeat in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, where the Congress, led by Nath, failed to replace the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Sources said Nath was asked to tender his resignation soon after the poll results were out. Nath met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and tendered his resignation thereafter. "The Congress president has appointed Shri Jitu Patwari as the president of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," an official communication from the party said. "The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC president, Shri Kamal Nath," it added. "The Congress president has also approved the proposal of the appointment of Shri Umang Singhar as the CLP leader and Shri Hemant Katare as the deputy leader of Madhya Pradesh," the statement said.

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Charan Das Mahant named as Cong legislative party leader in Chhattisgarh

Senior Congress MLA Charan Das Mahant has been appointed as the leader of the legislative party in Chhattisgarh. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Mahant as the CLP leader of Chhattisgarh, with immediate effect, as per a release shared by the state Congress unit on Saturday. The release was issued by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. Mahant had served as a Speaker of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly. The Congress president has also approved the proposal to continue Deepak Baij as the president of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, as per the release. The Congress was routed in the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh with the BJP winning 54 out of the 90 seats, reducing the erstwhile ruling party to 35 seats.

Cong, INDIA bloc trying to shield perpetrators of Parl security breach: BJP

The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress and other 'INDIA' bloc constituents of indulging in "petty politics" over the December 13 Parliament security breach incident to shield those involved in it. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, the party's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the opposition 'INDIA' bloc parties are standing by the perpetrators of the security breach as their links with them were emerging. He also took a jibe at the Congress over the launch of its crowd-funding campaign, saying those who looted the country for 60 years are now seeking donations from the same country. The Congress has started a 'Donate for Desh' campaign to deflect public attention from the "unparalleled corruption" in the party that has once again surfaced following the seizure of a huge amount of cash from its Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu and a recent incident of crime against a tribal woman in Karnataka's Belagavi district, Poonawalla claimed. "There .