Page 261 - Congress

After 20 yrs, left inches towards pre-poll pact with Congress in Telangana

After a gap of 20 years, the CPI and CPM in Telangana are now inching towards a per-poll alliance with the Congress in the state for the upcoming Assembly polls. The development comes days after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS announced the candidates list of 115 seats out of the total 119, dashing the hopes of the Left parties that were looking to form a pre poll alliance with the ruling party. The communist parties supported the BRS candidate in the Munugode by-election held in November last year. After his party's victory, Rao thanked the CPI and CPM for the association, and said the friendship will continue, in order to keep the surging BJP at bay. Assembly polls in Telangana are scheduled to be held towards the end of the calendar year. According to CPM Telangana secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, the party has received a call from Manikrao Thakare Congress' Telangana in-charge for discussion on the subject. However, a formal round of talks is yet to take place. Th

Sonia Gandhi admitted to hospital in Delhi due to fever, condition stable

Currently, Sonia Gandhi is under doctors' observation and is currently stable, sources said

Congress' Venugopal slams formation of panel on 'One nation, One election'

The Congress alleged on Saturday that the high-level committee formed to make recommendations on "one nation, one election" is a systematic attempt to sabotage India's parliamentary democracy. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the non-inclusion of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, in the panel and instead, having a former leader of opposition in it, is an insult to Parliament. "We believe that the High Level Committee on simultaneous elections is nothing but a systematic attempt to sabotage India's parliamentary democracy," Venugopal said on X. "In a shocking insult to Parliament, the BJP has appointed a former LOP to the committee instead of Rajya Sabha LOP Sh. Mallikarjun kharge ji," he added. Venugopal said first the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes up with this "gimmick" to distract from the Adani "scam", unemployment, price rise and other pressing issues concerning people, then, to make matters worse, tries to

Video: Rahul imbibes 'political gyan' from Lalu, learns 'secret recipe'

"I always find Laluji to be very incisive and I respect his political gyan," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a video released on Saturday, in which he is seen picking the RJD supremo's brain on politics and imbibing culinary skills from him. Gandhi put out the video from his dinner meeting with Lalu Prasad at the residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti last month. In the more-than-seven-minute-long video, Gandhi is seen learning the recipe for "Champaran mutton" preparation from Prasad, with Bharti also joining them in the cooking session. Gandhi and Prasad also discussed politics and exchanged views on "hate being spread". During their conversation, Gandhi asks Prasad what his suggestion to him and other next-generation politicians would be, to which the RJD leader says, "My suggestion is that your parents, grandparents had shown a new path to the country and kept it on the righteous path, you should not forget that." Sharing the video on X, the Congress .

Neither Samajwadi Party nor Congress stopped 2005 Ghosi riots: UP CM

The upcoming Lok Sabha by-election in Ghosi has turned out to be a prestige battle for the Samajwadi Party (SP) and party chief Akhilesh Yadav has thrown all his effort into winning this seat

Talks with Congress in final stages: YSRTP chief Sharmila on 'merger' talks

YSR Telangana Congress Party founder YS Sharmila on Saturday said her discussions with Congress party on working together or a possible "merger" have come to a final stage. Sharmila had held talks with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, amid speculation about YSRTP's merger with the grand old party. "Prolonged discussions were held (between Sharmila and Gandhis). We discussed how to work together and how to defeat the KCR's (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) corrupt government. These discussions have reached final stages," she told reporters after garlanding the statue of her father and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (undivided) YS Rajasekhar Reddy on his death anniversary today. She further claimed that Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul were not aware of the inclusion of her father's name in a quid-pro-quo case filed against him and his son, the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, in 2011 over investments an

Himachal imposes 2-week ban on hill cutting, fresh building permissions

Hill cutting for any kind of private development and construction activity except for rebuilding disaster-affected buildings and roads have been banned in Himachal Pradesh for two weeks up to September 16, a spokesperson of the state government said here on Saturday. Besides, fresh permission for planning and building construction has also been banned for commercial or tourism units in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, Solan and Chamba districts for two weeks. The spokesperson said during the ongoing monsoon season, unprecedented environmental disruptions, including catastrophic landslides, land subsidence, river-bank failures and severe erosion, have been witnessed across the state, leading to the tragic loss of lives and properties. He said the decision has been taken to ensure utmost safety for human lives, habitations, infrastructure and to preserve the fragile ecological environment of the hill state. The order shall come into force with immediate effect and violations will be dea

Centre working for welfare of 2-3 billionaires: Rahul Gandhi attacks govt

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the BJP-led Centre of working for the welfare of 2-3 billionaires of the country and said states governed by his party will have the government of the poor and not the government of Adani. Addressing a convention of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club at Mela Sthal in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur, Gandhi said the country cannot progress with hatred and violence. It will march ahead by taking everyone together with love, he said. Rajiv Yuva Mitan is a scheme of the state's sports and youth welfare department. The Wayanad MP claimed that the BJP calls tribal communities vanvasi' instead of Adivasi' because it does not want them to come out of the forest and fulfil their dreams in various sectors. Referring to a few recently published newspaper articles against industrialist Gautam Adani, Gandhi said, The PM should tell the people of Chhattisgarh and the country why he doesn't want a probe against Adani.. I want to make it clear why h

Lathi-charge on Maratha protestors to divert attention from INDIA: Cong

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Saturday alleged police lathi-charged protestors in Jalna seeking Maratha reservation on the orders of the government to divert the attention from the INDIA bloc meeting. Talking to reporters, Patole claimed even women and children were not spared, causing injuries to many. "The Jalna incident was carried out to divert the attention from the INDIA alliance meeting. This was done so that the positive message about the meeting does not go to other parts of the country," Patole claimed. "The police cannot dare to do so without the order from the government," the Congress leader added. The two-day meeting of the INDIA alliance was held at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai on Thursday and Friday and was attended by 63 representatives from 28 opposition parties. Police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells on Friday to disperse protesters in Antarwali Sarathi on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna's Ambad tehsil after they allegedly refused to let ...

This is not Gehlot govt, it is 'Grih-loot' govt: BJP chief in Rajasthan

Attacking the Congress dispensation in Rajasthan over crime against women, corruption and other issues, BJP national president J P Nadda on Saturday called upon the people to remove the government if they want to change the situation in the state. Accusing the Ashok Gehlot-led government of being a 'Grih-loot sarkar' that loots houses of people, Nadda said the ruling Congress in the state has given a free hand to its MLAs to indulge in corruption and fill the pockets of their party 'bosses' in Delhi. Targeting the opposition INDIA alliance, the BJP chief said the grouping does not care for the people. They are only worried about saving their families and therefore, they have joined hands against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added. "This is not Gehlot government, this is a 'Grih-loot' sarkar that loots houses of the people. Congress means loot, corruption and misgovernance," he claimed, addressing a public meeting in Sawai Madhopur on the launch of the BJP's 'Parivartan ...

Want to take their families ahead, not country: JP Nadda attacks Oppn bloc

The partner leaders in the INDIA bloc met in Mumbai on Friday and made several announcements in line with its common cause to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre

Ahead of Chhattisgarh polls, Shah releases 'Arop Patra' against Baghel govt

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday released an "Arop Patra" (chargesheet) against the Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh, accusing it of indulging in scams and loot, and committing atrocities against the people of the state, where elections are due by the year-end. He also accused Chief Minister Baghel of making Chhattisgarh an "ATM of Gandhi Parivar", and claimed that his government has broken "all records of corruption". The minister charged the Congress government of not preventing religious conversions in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh for its vote bank politics. Shah listed out alleged scams related to coal, liquor, online betting being probed by central agencies in the state, and asserted that only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can save Chhattisgarh from the Congress' scams, atrocities and misrule. Referring to the money laundering case related to an alleged illegal betting app 'Mahadev Online Book', he said whether people of Chhattisgarh want the Baghel ...

Cong hails Aditya-L1, shares timeline to understand continuity in Isro saga

The Congress on Saturday hailed the launch of Aditya-L1 as a "stupendous achievement" for India, as it shared a timeline of the mission from its conceptualisation for understanding of the "continuity in the ISRO saga". The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday launched the country's ambitious solar mission Aditya L1, eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayan-3, a few days ago. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today's launch of Aditya-L1 is another stupendous achievement of ISRO and for India!" "While saluting ISRO once again, it is worthwhile recalling the recent timeline for Aditya-L1 to understand the continuity in the ISRO saga," he said. Ramesh stated that in 2006 scientists with the Astronomical Society of India and the Indian Academy of Sciences proposed the concept of a solar observatory with a single instrument. In March 2008, scientists shared the proposal with ISRO, he said. "December 2009: ISRO

One Nation, One Election not practical in Indian democratic system: Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised the BJP-led Centre's proposal for 'one nation, one election', saying there is no practical way in which such a system can be implemented. Talking to reporters here on his first visit to his Lok Sabha constituency after becoming a member of the Congress Working Committee, Tharoor said the 'one nation, one election' initiative of the government would be against the existing system, which is based on parliamentary democracy, where parties cannot continue in power if they lose the majority in the house. "There is no practical way in which you can implement such a system. The second concern that many of us have is that the big diversity of India actually benefits from the staggered calendar that has evolved over the years," Tharoor said. Former president Ram Nath Kovind was on Friday tasked by the Centre with the responsibility of heading a committee to explore the feasibility of 'one nation, one election'. The committee will explore h

Gehlot trying to derail probe into Sanjivani society scam: Shekhawat

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday attacked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, alleging that he was trying to derail the investigation into the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam case. Neither the Rajasthan Police' Special Operational Group (SOG) has been able to wrap up its probe into the matter in more than four years nor has it been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he told reporters here. Earlier, Gehlot has accused the Shekhawat of being involved in the scam, a charge that has been denied by the Union minister. The chief minister is trying to derail the probe, Shekhawat alleged and added that Gehlot does not want a fair investigation in the case. The case pertains to thousands of investors who were duped of about Rs 900 crore by the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society.

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INDIA will rout BJP; Cong to repeat Karnataka win in other states: RaGa

Asserting that the INDIA alliance will defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in national elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party will replicate its win in Karnataka in poll-bound Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Addressing party workers at the Maharashtra Congress office at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai, Gandhi claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are scared of the country's oldest political outfit. People in the media said the Congress party does not have strength, but who defeated the BJP in Karnataka? Gandhi said, referring to his party's resounding victory in the assembly polls in the southern state held in May this year. Whatever happened in Karnataka will happen in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh (where assembly polls are due in next few months). The INDIA alliance is going to defeat the BJP in national elections and the Congress party will win the polls, he said. The

One nation, one election: All you need to know about simultaneous elections

Centre has constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of 'one nation, one election'

Opposition bloc INDIA resolves to jointly contest 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Opposition alliance INDIA passed a resolution on Friday in Mumbai, where the parties resolved to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024 together as far as possible

Delhi MCD councillors' allowance hiked from Rs 300 to Rs 25k per meeting

MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi said that councillors have several office expenses which they have to pay from their own pocket