Page 23 - Congress

Bypolls: Double defeat for NC in J-K, Congress wins in Rajasthan

Ruling parties Friday lost four of the eight seats where assembly bypolls were held on November 11 with the Congress bagging one seat in BJP-ruled Rajasthan and the PDP handing the National Conference its first ever defeat in its stronghold of Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP won the Nagrota seat in Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram's main opposition party, Mizo National Front (MNF), retained the Dampa assembly seat with its candidate R Lalthangliana defeating Vanlalsailova of the ruling Zoram People's Movement by a margin of 562 votes. Bypolls were also held in Anta (Rajasthan), Ghatshila (Jharkhand), Jubilee Hills (Telangana), Tarn Taran (Punjab) and Nuapada (Odisha). The Congress and the BJP won one more seat each while the AAP and the JMM also bagged one seat each. In Odisha's Nuapada, BJP's Jay Dholakia beat Ghasi Ram Majhi of the Congress by a huge margin of 83,748 votes. Jay is the son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death necessitated the bypoll. In Nagrota, BJP's

NDA's Bihar encore: Task cut out for RJD; Cong stares at existential crisis

Congress posted one of its weakest-ever results in Bihar, prompting PM Modi to forecast a split, while RJD too failed to widen its caste coalition despite a strong vote share and young-voter outreach

Bypolls result 2025: AAP wins Punjab's Tarn Taran, PDP in J&K's Budgam

Vote counting is underway across 8 Assembly constituencies, with early trends showing Congress leading in Telangana's Jubilee Hills while candidates from other parties vie for leads in other key seats

Congress' dismal outing in Bihar polls: Tracing party's past performances

In the 2025 elections, the Congress contested 60 seats as part of an alliance with the RJD. This was noticeably fewer than the 77 seats it contested in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections

LIVE news updates: Trump signs bill to reopen government after longest-ever shutdown

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HIGHLIGHTS: Protesters confront security at main venue of COP30

Veteran actor Dharmendra was discharged from the Breach Candy hospital in south Mumbai on Wednesday morning and will continue his recovery at home, the family said

Mahagathbandhan govt in Bihar certain, will fulfil promises: Congress

A day before polling for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly polls, the Congress on Monday said this time the Mahagathbandhan government is certain in the state and its guarantees will be implemented as soon as it comes to power. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Mahagathbandhan government will liberate Bihar from 20 years of "helpless governance". "Now migration will stop, the darkness will be removed from the future of the youth, every household will have a brighter tomorrow! We will end injustice, transform Bihar with social justice," Kharge said in his post in Hindi. Dalits, Mahadalits, tribals, backward, extremely backward, economically weaker sections, and minorities will get their rights, the Congress chief said. Women, farmers, youth, every section of society will experience economic upliftment, he said. "The people of Bihar have set out to change the face of the state! We will restore Bihar's glory. We guarantee, we will make it possible!" Kharge

Rahul Gandhi slams govt over detention of protesters demanding clean air

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday criticised the government after several people protesting at India Gate against the worsening air quality were detained for assembling without permission and asked why citizens peacefully demanding clean air were being treated like "criminals". Gandhi called for decisive action on air pollution "right now, instead of attacking citizens asking for clean air". He made the remarks on X in response to a post by environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, who said that protesters were "taken away" and "shoved in a bus". Scores of people, including parents and environmental activists, staged a protest at India Gate on Sunday against the worsening air quality in the national capital. According to police, several protesters were detained for assembling without permission. Gandhi said, "The right to clean air is a basic human right. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens who have been peacefully demanding clean air being

AAP, Congress, BJP announce candidates for upcoming Delhi MCD bypolls

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that his candidates for the MCD bypolls on November 4 were selected after extensive discussions

Campaigning ends for Mizoram's Dampa bypoll, voting scheduled for Tuesday

Hectic campaigning for the by-election to the Dampa assembly seat in Mizoram's Mamit district ended on Sunday, election officials said. Polling for the Dampa seat will be held on Tuesday, where 21,003 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of five candidates, they said. Counting of votes will be held on November 14, they said. Polling officials assigned for six far-flung polling stations have left for their respective polling stations on Sunday, Mamit election officer Lalnunfela Chawngthu said. Additionally, three sections of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to be deployed at three critical polling stations in Silsury near the Bangladesh border have also left for their destination on Sunday, he said. Polling officials for the remaining 35 polling stations will leave for their destination on Monday, he said. Meanwhile, political parties were busy making the last pitch to woo the voters on Sunday. Although the deadline for the campaign ended on Su

Rahul Gandhi alleges SIR of voter rolls to institutionalise 'vote theft'

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in an attempt to cover up "vote theft" and institutionalise it. Gandhi arrived in Pachmarhi hill town in Narmadapuram on Saturday to take part in the Madhya Pradesh district Congress presidents' training camp. "Vote theft is an issue and SIR now, it is about covering it up and institutionalising the system," the Congress MP claimed while talking to reporters here. The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list commenced in nine states and three Union territories on November 4. Gandhi said he believes that like Haryana, "vote theft" took place in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh too. "A few days ago, I gave a presentation on Haryana, and I clearly saw that vote theft was taking place...25 lakh votes were stolen, 1 in 8 votes were stolen," he alleged. "After looking at that, after looking at the data, I belie

Oppn targets BJP on demonetisation; calls it disastrous Tughlakian decision

The Congress on Saturday said the demonetisation announced on this day nine years ago was a "disastrous Tughlakian decision" that devastated the livelihoods of crores of Indians, besides crippling trade and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Indian economy lost its momentum on account of the "Notebandi" and has never really recovered after that. "Today is the 9th anniversary of the singularly disastrous, Tughlakian decision relating to demonetisation. "The livelihoods of crores of Indians were devastated. Trade and MSMEs were crippled. The unorganised sector accounting for over 92 per cent of total employment was destroyed. The amount of black and counterfeit money didn't reduce. The slogan of cashless became meaningless. The 2,000 rupee note that was introduced has been withdrawn," Ramesh said in a post on X. "The Indian economy lost its momentum on account of Notebandi. It has never really recovered," he added. The Cong

CM Mann claims Congress, SAD 'looted'; says AAP working to restore dignity

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday launched a scathing attack on opposition parties Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress, accusing them of "looting" the state for decades. He claimed that while these parties mismanaged Punjab's resources, the AAP is working "tirelessly" to restore the state's dignity and prosperity. Mann was canvassing for AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu in Panjwad, Thathi Sohal, and Jhabal Kalan ahead of the November 11 bypoll in the Tarn Taran assembly seat, which was vacated following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June. Targeting both Congress and the Akali Dal, Mann said, "They sold Punjab's assets, but we are reclaiming its pride." He further criticised SAD leaders Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia, as well as Congress leaders Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa, saying they had no moral authority to speak about Punjab's welfare. Highlighting his government's achievements, Mann emphasised that AAP has provided .

Congress accuses PM Modi of distorting history, insulting founding fathers

The Congress on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "distorting" history and insulting India's founding fathers, including Rabindranath Tagore, while demanding an apology from him after he slammed the opposition party over the dropping of stanzas from "Vande Mataram" in 1937. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared pages of Tagore's biography in Bengali, where he suggested that the first two stanzas of "Vande Mataram" be adopted as the national song. "Here are pages 110-112 from vol 4 of the authoritative biography in Bengali of Rabindranath Tagore titled Rabindra-Jeebanee by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay, published by Visva-Bharati in 1994," Ramesh said in a post on X, while sharing the pages. "The Master Distorian of a PM must render an apology. He has insulted our founding fathers and most of all Tagore himself," he added. In an apparent attack on the Congress, the prime minister recently said important stanzas of "Vande Mataram" were dropped in 1937, which sow

Winter session from Dec 1 to 19; Oppn slams govt for 'just 15 working days'

The Winter session of Parliament will be held from December 1 to 19, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday. "The Hon'ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji has approved the proposal of the Government to convene the #WinterSession of Parliament from 1st December 2025 to 19th December, 2025 (subject to exigencies of Parliamentary business)," Rijiju said on X. "Looking forward to a constructive and meaningful Session that strengthens our democracy and serves the aspirations of the people," he said.

Rajnath Singh slams Rahul over vote chori allegations, calls them baseless

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation of 'vote chori' as "baseless", and said he should approach the Election Commission if he has a complaint with evidence. Addressing two election rallies in Rohtas district, Singh said Congress was facing a dearth of issues, and that's why Gandhi was levelling such allegations. "If Rahul Gandhi thinks that votes are being stolen in Bihar, he should file a complaint with the EC. He is not doing that; he is simply levelling baseless allegations against a constitutional body. He is simply lying," he alleged. Singh alleged Congress creates rift among the people over caste, creed and religion, as it believes in "divisive politics". "Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue of reservation in the defence forces. Our defence forces are above all these. He should not drag them into politics," he said. "BJP supports reservations. We have given reservations to the poor and other eligible sections of the ...

Congress, Mahagathbandhan fighting same battle as Mahatma Gandhi: Priyanka

Addressing a public rally in Katihar's Kadwa, Priyanka Gandhi said the battle of the Congress and the Mahagathbandhan today is not merely political but a fight to safeguard the rights of citizens

Rahul slams PM, MP CM as he shares video of kids having meals on papers

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared a video on X of school children in Madhya Pradesh having their mid-day meals on a newspaper and said the chief minister and the prime minister should be ashamed for nurturing the future of the country in such a pitiable state. In a post along with the video, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "development" is just an illusion and the party's real secret of coming to power is "vyavastha" (the system). "I am heading to Madhya Pradesh today. And ever since I saw this news that children there are being served mid-day meals on newspapers, my heart is broken. "These are the same innocent children on whose dreams the future of the country rests and they are not even getting a plate of dignity," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi. "More than 20 years of BJP government and they have even stolen the plates of children -- their 'development' is just an illusion, the real secret to comin

Dropping 'Vande Mataram' stanzas in 1937 sowed division, says PM Modi

In an apparent attack at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said important stanzas of the national song "Vande Mataram" were dropped in 1937 which sowed the seeds of partition and asserted that such a "divisive mindset" is still a challenge for the country. Modi made the comments after inaugurating the year-long commemoration of "Vande Mataram" to mark 150 years of the national song. He also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here. "Vande Mataram became the voice of India's freedom struggle, it expressed the feelings of every Indian. Unfortunately, in 1937, important stanzas of Vande Mataram..a part of its soul, were severed. The division of Vande Mataram also sowed the seeds of partition. Today's generation needs to know why this injustice was done with this 'maha mantra' of nation building..this divisive mindset is still a challenge for the country," he said. Noting that "Vande Mataram" is relevant in every

Highlights: ED makes third arrest in Reliance Power money laundering case

Highlights, Nov 7: ED arrests Amar Nath Dutta under PMLA in case linked to alleged fake ₹68 crore bank guarantee, catch all the latest updates here