Page 377 - Congress

Bharat Jodo Yatra lead by Rahul Gandhi enters 4th day in Telangana

The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Dharmapur in Mahabubnagar town in Telangana on Saturday and is expected to cover a distance of over 20 km, Congress party sources said. This is the fourth day of the yatra in the state. Gandhi will address a Corner Meeting at Jadcherla X Road Junction in the evening, before halting for the day. The yatra kicked off at around 6.30 am with a number of party leaders joining Gandhi. Actress Poonam Kaur and students belonging to the Osmania University joined Gandhi during the march, sources said. The Gandhi scion-led yatra completed 23.3 km on Friday, before halting for the day at Dharmapur for the night, according to party sources. The yatra will cover 19 Assembly and 7 Parliamentary constituencies spanning a total distance of 375 km, before entering Maharashtra on November 7. The yatra will take a one-day break on November 4. The Wayanad MP will meet intellectuals, leaders of various communities, including personalities from the

BJP faces 27 years of anti-incumbency, AAP non-existent in Gujarat: Gehlot

Exuding confidence about his party Congress winning the ensuing Assembly elections in Gujarat, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing its "highest-ever" anti-incumbency in the state. Gehlot, a senior Congress observer for Gujarat polls, did not see the possibility of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) creating any impact in elections, saying the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit has just created a hype in the media and it was "non-existent" on the ground in Gujarat. "The BJP has been ruling Gujarat for the last 27 years and I can say that anti-incumbency against the BJP is the highest this time. While people are opposing BJP's ongoing Gaurav Yatras, they are welcoming the Congress in the state during poll campaigning. "We (Congress) will definitely form a government this time. It is necessary to end the BJP's misrule," said the Rajasthan Chief Minister. He was talking to media persons in Vadodara city after addressing a poll rally in

Will introduce one GST slab instead of 5 if Cong comes to power: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said if the party comes to power at the Centre, there would be a revisit of GST (goods and services tax). Addressing a gathering in Mahabubnagar District as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' he alleged that the existing faulty GST regime and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's demonetisation in 2016 ruined small and medium businesses. When our government assumes power in Delhi, we will revisit GST and there will be only one tax (slab) not five (slabs), he said. He promised that if the Congress comes to power in Telangana, the Forest Rights Act would be implemented in toto for the benefit of adivasis. Dubbing Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, as the 'rajah' of the State, Gandhi said KCR's motto is to grab land and money of the people of Telangana. He alleged that BJP and TRS work in tandem and the latter supports all the Bills introduced by the NDA government in Parliament. On the one hand, BJP is spreading hatre

EC doesn't have jurisdiction to regulate issues like freebies: Congress

The Congress on Friday said the Election Commission does not have the jurisdiction to regulate issues such as freebies, and urged the panel to focus on ensuring free and fair polls through proper implementation of Election Laws. The poll panel on October 4 had proposed amending the model code to ask political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, a move that came amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that had triggered a political slugfest. Such issues are part of the dialectics of a vibrant democratic system and depend on wisdom, discernment and analysis of the electorate which should never be taken to be less than acute, the opposition party said. "It is really something which is to be decided, be it pre-election or post-election, be it by way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance and reward that the electorate decides the wisdom of such poll promises or campaign assurances and equally decides the

Kharge visits Ambedkar's memorial, Azad's 'mazaar'; pays them homage

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday visited the memorial and 'mazaar' of B R Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and paid tributes to the two freedom fighters and former Union ministers. After visiting Ambedkar's memorial here, Kharge also posted a quote of the former law minister and the chief architect of the Constitution on Twitter -- "Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship." "Visited Dr B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Delhi today and paid floral tributes to Babasaheb," Kharge, who took over as Congress chief on Wednesday, said in a tweet and posted pictures of him paying homage to Ambedkar at the memorial. Kharge also visited the 'mazaar (grave)' of Azad here and paid floral tributes to India's first Education Minister. Ahead of his taking over as Congress chief, Kharge had visited Rajghat on Wednesday and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He had also

Economic crisis in Himachal Pradesh under BJP rule, claims Congress

Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh on Thursday accused the ruling BJP of driving the state into an economic crisis and said the debt burden has reached at "Rs 70,000 crore". She also asserted that if her party is voted to power in the assembly polls, it would restore the old pension scheme for state government employees. "Himachal Pradesh is facing a debt burden of Rs 70,000 crore and the data of unemployed youth in the state has crossed the 10 lakh-mark under the BJP rule," Singh said while addressing a rally in Shimla district's Rampur for the November 12 elections. The Congress leader reiterated her party's poll promises of restoring the old pension scheme for state government employees, providing Rs 1,500 per month to every woman and free 300 units of electricity to domestic consumers.

PM enjoying power while Kashmiri Pandits continue to be refugees: Rahul

Hitting out at the Centre over the alleged exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is enjoying power while members of the minority community continue to be refugees in their own country. The BJP has ruined the good work done by the UPA, the former Congress chief said. As terrorists carried out a number of targeted killings recently, 10 Kashmiri Pandit families left their village, Choudharygund, in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district out of fear and reached Jammu, according to residents. Members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out any plan to return to the Valley. However, authorities in Shopian have attempted to put up a brave face by claiming no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has taken place from the south Kashmir district. "There have been 30 targeted killings in Kashmir this year. The exodus of Pandits is increasing rapidly. The BJP has ruined the good work done by th

Congress demands white paper from Modi govt on 'plight of Kashmiri Pandits'

The Congress on Thursday attacked the BJP over the alleged exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from south Kashmir's Shopian district and demanded that the Modi government release a white paper on the plight of the minority community during its eight-year rule. The opposition party also hit out at the BJP-led Centre over the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and said the government must apologise for it. As terrorists carried out a number of targeted killings recently, 10 Kashmiri Pandit families left their village, Choudharygund, in Shopian out of fear and reached Jammu, according to residents. Members of the minority community, who have since been camping in Jammu, ruled out any plan to return to the Valley. However, authorities in Shopian have attempted to put on a brave face by claiming no exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has taken place from the district. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said tha

Amit Shah lashes out at previous Haryana regimes, praises Khattar govt

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday targeted previous Haryana chief ministers over regional bias and said in Manohar Lal Khattar, the state has after a long time got a chief minister who is undertaking its all-round development. Shah, who laid the foundation stone of the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor and inaugurated three other projects in the state during an event here worth a combined Rs 6,629 crore, launched a scathing attack on previous regimes. He said the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government was marked by corruption, while also hitting out at the Indian National Lok Dal regime led by Om Prakash Chautala, without taking his name. BJP leaders in the state often accuse Hooda of regional bias and concentrating development works in Rohtak during his tenure. Addressing a Jan Utthan rally, Shah said the Khattar government had worked to change Haryana during its eight years, adding that He said after a long time after Independence there is a chief minister for the ent

Karnataka Congress leaders gear up for a tractor yatra across state

Tussle between opposition leader Siddaramaiah and state Party President D.K. Shivakumar seems to be gathering steam as Karnataka Congress gears up to take out tractor yatra across the state

Telangana leg of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes after 4-day break

After four days, the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Makthal in Narayanpet district of Telangana on Thursday, party sources said. The yatra kicked off at 6.30 am from Makthal with State Congress president A. Revanth Reddy, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and a number of party leaders joining Gandhi. This is the second day of the yatra in the state. The Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the state via Gudebellur on October 23 morning, after exiting Karnataka from Raichur. After a brief march, it took a break from Sunday noon till October 26. Gandhi who left for the national capital on October 23, landed here last night and left for Gudebellur by road. The Gandhi scion-led march is expected to complete 26.7 km on Thursday, before halting for the day at Sri Balaji Factory, Makthal for the night, according to party sources. From Makthal, the yatra will continue for 16 days in Telangana state, covering 19 Assembly and 7 Parliamentary constituencies spanning a

Kharge vows to bolster UPA as he takes over as Congress President

Refers to his own humble beginnings and struggles in maiden speech, dwells on Babasaheb Ambedkar's role in bringing India together

Sonia Gandhi stepping down as Cong prez 'emotional moment' for all: Gehlot

Terming Sonia Gandhi's guidance as invaluable for the Congress party, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said the change of guard is an emotional moment for all partymen. "When Sonia Gandhi took over as Congress president in 1998, the party did not have a government at the Centre and it had many challenges in the states too. After she took over as party president, the Congress won in all states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka," he said in a tweet in Hindi. In 2004 and 2009, the UPA government was formed at the Centre by defeating the BJP, he said. Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as Congress president on Wednesday and said the party will break the "system of lies and hatred" prevailing under the current government. Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years, had defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president's post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the

NCP, Shiv Sena-UBT to march with Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra next month

The Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray will join the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by party MP Rahul Gandhi when it enters Maharashtra next month

Kharge announced to implement Udaipur declaration, says Sachin Pilot

With Mallikarjun Kharge taking over at the helm of affairs in Congress, Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said that 50 per cent of party posts would be given to party workers below 50 years of age

Mallikarjun Kharge formally takes over as Congress president in Delhi

Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as Congress president on Wednesday after he was handed over the certificate of election to the top post at a function at the AICC headquarters here. Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years, had defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president's post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race. Kharge was handed over the certificate of election as the Congress president by the party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry. Mistry said he hopes other parties will draw a lesson from the Congress and hold polls for party presidency by secret ballot. Outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the event which was attended by several top party leaders. Ahead of his taking over, Kharge visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He also visited the

Congress will be strengthened by Kharge's leadership: Sonia Gandhi

The Congress faces many challenges but with unity and strength it will move forward to tackle them as it has done before, outgoing party chief Sonia Gandhi said on Wednesday. Speaking at an event where Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as the Congress president after he was handed over the certificate of election to the top post, Gandhi said she is confident that the Congress will be inspired and strengthened by his leadership. She said it is her biggest satisfaction that the new Congress president is very experienced and has risen from being an ordinary worker to such heights through his hardwork. Gandhi said she did her duty as Congress president to the best of her ability and was feeling relieved as she would now be free from this responsibility. The Congress faces many challenges but with full strength and unity "we have to move forward and succeed" she said. Kharge is the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years. He succeeds Sonia Gandhi, the longest serving party

Mallikarjun Kharge to take charge of Congress president in Delhi today

The newly elected president of the Indian National Congress Mallikarjun Kharge will take charge of the post on Wednesday at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi

Uddhav Thackeray likely to join Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra: Report

Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is likely to join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Bharat Jodo Yatra when it reaches the state

Bharat Jodo Yatra achieving objectives, has covered one-third distance

The Congress on Tuesday said the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which has completed one-third of the 3,570-km route, has achieved its desired purpose with people raising their voice against the issues of price rise, unemployment and divisiveness. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the yatra has so far covered four states and a total of 18 districts and will cover another eight in Telangana in the next 11 days, after which it will move towards central India. It will resume after the Diwali break on Thursday from Mehboobnagar in Telangana. He also said the Congress will launch state-specific marches -- a 2,400-km yatra in Odisha starting October 31 from Bhubaneshwar, a 850-km yatra in Assam, and one in West Bengal starting December 28. Ramesh said after Telangana, the yatra will enter Nanded in Maharashtra. The yatra will be in Maharashtra for about 16 days and thereafter cover Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. "After 48 days journey, 4 states, 18 districts, 4 public rallies, 35 street ..