Page 308 - Congress

Cong will definitely fight Bengal elections: Chowdhury on Mamata's remark

Mamata had said that her party will support Congress where it is strong but "it should not fight against her in Bengal"

Congress party will stand up to pledge made to Kannadigas: Surjewala

He further said that the party President Mallikarjun Kharge will hold deliberations with state leaders and other central leaders to take a call on the next Karnataka Chief Ministerial choice

Cong tried to topple Bhairon Singh Shekhawat govt: Raje responds to Gehlot

Raje also said that Shekhawat's role has been important in bringing her into politics

Want to see my brother as CM: Shivakumar's brother after meeting Kharge

Congress' three central observers met Kharge at his residence here on Monday evening and held deliberations over government formation in Karnataka

Mamata offers conditional support to Congress in 2024, state Congress snubs

Chowdhury immediately reacted and said that Trinamool is actually against a united opposition alliance

Shivakumar will be in Delhi on Tuesday for discussion on govt formation

Karnataka state Congress president D K Shivakumar will reach Delhi on Tuesday for discussion with the party leadership on the government formation in the state, his brother and party MP D K Suresh said. Amid intense lobbying for the chief minister's post, the Congress leadership called Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah -- the two frontrunners -- to Delhi for discussions on Monday. Siddaramaiah reached Delhi Monday afternoon, but Shivakumar cancelled his visit at the last minute citing health issues. Later in the evening, D K Suresh, the Congress MP from Bengaluru Rural, met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter's residence and thereafter told reporters that his brother will be visiting Delhi on Tuesday. "Yes, he will be coming tomorrow," D K Suresh said in response to a question from reporters. After the Congress made a spectacular comeback in Karnataka winning 135 of the 224 seats, the party is now faced with the challenge of picking the chief minister. The

Collect from Congress: Karnataka villagers' refusal to pay bill goes viral

A video of a group of villagers in this district on Monday allegedly refusing to pay their electricity bill citing the pre-poll promise of the Congress to give 200 units for free has gone viral. Among the five 'guarantees' that the party announced is the offer of 200 units of power a month to every household. During campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Congress repeatedly said it would give a stamp of approval for these 'guarantees' in the maiden cabinet meeting on the first day of it assuming power in the State. "We won't pay," a villager was heard telling electricity bill collector Gopi in the purported video where people are seen sitting on a platform under a peepal tree. The bill collector then tells them, "You have to pay the bill this month. Let's see what the government says," to which the villagers respond, "What can the government say?" Gopi tells them if the government says it will give free power, then the electricity department will follow ..

Karnataka: DK Shivakumar miffed, says all 135 Congress MLAs support him

Party sources said they were working out a compromise formula, including allocation of portfolios, such as revenue, irrigation and public works department

Congress observers meet Kharge, discuss govt formation in Karnataka

The party sources indicated that the observers informed Kharge of the views of MLAs on the new Chief Minister and the government formation in Karnataka

Karnataka CM race: Three Congress central observers meet Kharge in Delhi

After holding discussions with newly-elected Congress MLAs in Bengaluru, the party's three central observers met its president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here on Monday evening and held deliberations over government formation in Karnataka. Sushilkumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria met Kharge along with general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala. The six top leaders discussed the report of the observers and the views of newly-elected MLAs elicited by the three during one-on-one interactions with the new legislators held in Bengaluru late on Sunday night. Sources said the observers apprised the Congress president of the views of MLAs on the new chief minister and the government formation in Karnataka. They added the Congress leadership has called both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar for further discussions and the former has already arrived in the national capital.

Pilot compares Raj with K'taka, asks govt to fulfill promise on corruption

Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday cited his party's victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls to push for action by the Ashok Gehlot government over alleged corruption during the previous BJP rule in Rajasthan. As the assembly polls approach in Rajasthan, the former deputy chief minister mounted pressure on Chief Minister Gehlot and the party's top leadership with a five-day yatra which ended Monday with a big rally in Jaipur. In an effort to corner Gehlot, Pilot has been demanding action over accusations of corruption made by the Congress ahead of the Rajasthan polls in 2018. In an interview to PTI before the Jaipur rally, he compared the situation now in Karnataka, where the Congress has swept the assembly polls, with that in Rajasthan in 2018. We levelled allegations of corruption against the BJP government in Karnataka. The Congress has got a mandate there and if no action against corruption by the (BJP's) Bommai government is taken, will people listen to us after

Congress leadership has called me, Siddaramaiah to Delhi: Shivakumar

He said he along with Siddaramaiah have been called to Delhi by party high command and that he will be going there late due to personal commitments

Court issues notice to Cong chief Kharge for Bajrang Dal defamation case

A court here has issued a notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100-crore defamation case filed against him for "defamatory" remarks against the Bajrang Dal and comparing it to the outlawed PFI in his party's Karnataka poll manifesto. The notice was issued by the court on May 12 on a petition filed by Hindu Suraksha Parishad national president Hitesh Bhardwaj. The date for filing of reply to the notice has been fixed for July 10. "That the respondent issued an election manifesto before the state of Karnataka for the elections. In the said manifesto, at para number 10, the defendant issued defamatory statements against the Bajrang Dal, a unit of the Hindu Suraksha Parishad, by declaring to ban the organisation and comparing it to outlawed organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI)...," the petitioner has submitted. The central government had banned the PFI last year. The petitioner's lawyer, Lalit Garg, on Monday said a few days ago, Bhardwaj had filed th

If there is 40% commission in Karnataka, its 80% in Kerala: Congress

After its win in Karnataka where it had blamed the outgoing BJP administration there of being a "40 per cent commission" government, the Congress on Monday took a dig at the ruling LDF in Kerala by terming it as an "80 per cent commission" regime. Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala contended that a second term in power has boosted the "arrogance" of the ruling Left and the Chief Minister of Kerala. He also accused the LDF government of being "submerged" in corruption. "If it was 40 per cent commission in Karnataka, here (in Kerala) they are taking 80 per cent commission," Chennithala said at a press conference held here in connection with the alleged Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera scam. A similar allegation was made by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan a couple of days ago while reacting to Congress leading during counting of votes polled in the Karnataka elections. Satheesan had said the Congress campaig

Congress voted through secret ballot in K'taka to choose CM: Hariprasad

Even as all observers appointed by Cong president Kharge are returning Delhi to submit report, party leader B.K. Hariprasad said that "secret ballots" were used for voting in the CLP meeting

Congress should safeguard Karnataka MLAs from being poached by BJP: CPI(M)

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Monday took a veiled dig at the Congress by asking it to safeguard its newly elected Karnataka MLAs from being poached by the BJP as was allegedly done by the saffron party in Goa amidst the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Terming the Congress as being weak and incapable of taking on the BJP on its own, the CPI(M) batted for a state-wise alliance to defeat the saffron party in the 2024 general elections. "A national-level alliance will not be helpful. We need to unite all the anti-BJP groups at the state-level and defeat the BJP in each state. That is the only way forward," CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had suggested a similar strategy a day ago. Govindan said the contention that Congress was the only party capable of taking on the BJP was "only an argument". "Everyone who knows Congress, knows that Karnataka was the only state where they could contest polls effectively. The other states where they can are Gujarat, ...

No call to go to Delhi, govt will be formed at auspicious time: Shivakumar

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar, a strong contender for the Chief Minister's post, said he has not received any call from the party's central leadership to discuss the issue. When asked whether he will be appointed the Chief Minister, he said: "I don't know. I have done whatever job was given to me. We have sent a one-line resolution to Delhi." He also said the government will be formed at an auspicious time. Amid speculation that he has been asked to come to the national capital by the high command, he said: "I have not received any call yet. Let's see." On when the new government would be formed, Shivakumar said, "We will see an auspicious day of the week, auspicious moment and auspicious 'muhurta'." Shivakumar is engaged in an intense competition with senior party leader Siddaramaiah for the Chief Minister's post. The Karnataka Congress Legislaure Party at its meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising AICC President M ..

Congress victory in Karnataka is best birthday gift for me: Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar said the thumping victory of the party in the May 10 Assembly elections is the best birthday gift possible given to him by the people. "My life is dedicated to serving the people of Karnataka", said Shivakumar, an eight-time MLA who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Monday. "On the eve of my birthday, the people of Karnataka gave me the best birthday gift possible. Thanks to my Congress family for their warm greetings," he said. Shivakumar is engaged in an intense competition with senior party leader Siddaramaiah for the Chief Minister's post. The Karnataka Congress Legislaure Party at its meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge to choose the new Chief Minister of the state. In the Assembly polls to the 224-member House, the Congress won 135 seats, the BJP 66 and the JD(S) 19. The results were declared on May 13.

Who is Sunil Kanugolu, the poll strategist behind Congress' Karnataka win

Sunil Kanugolu was brought on board to help with Congress' electoral strategy for various elections across India after Prashant Kishor rebuffed the Congress' offer to join the party

Difference of opinion in Kerala's CPI(M) on Cong role in fight against BJP

In the wake of Congress emerging victorious in Karnataka Assembly polls, there appears to be a difference of opinion in the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala over the role the grand old party should play to defeat the BJP in the 2024 general elections. While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan expressed the view that the Congress was weak in several parts of the country and cannot take up the fight against BJP on its own, state Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan differed in his stance by pointing that the grand old party should lead from the front. Vijayan, after inaugurating a public meeting at Guruvayoor in Thrissur district organised by the ruling LDF as part of its second anniversary celebrations, said the Congress should realise that it is not as strong as it was in the past and batted for a "state-wise" strategy of uniting anti-BJP forces to take on the saffron party. "We should work according to the changing scenario on the ground and the Congre