Page 378 - Congress

Mallikarjun Kharge to formally take over as Congress president on Wednesday

Hectic preparations were underway at the Congress headquarters for Wednesday's ceremony where party president Sonia Gandhi will hand over the baton to her successor, Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the outfit in 24 years. Kharge defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the top post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race. Security personnel and workers made last-minute arrangements on the AICC headquarters lawns where a tent was being put up and in the Congress president's office room. Chairman of the central election authority of the Congress Madhusudan Mistry will formally hand over the election certificate to Kharge at the function, which will also see the presence of outgoing chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Kharge, 80, takes charge of the party at a time when it faces a tough challenge from a formidable BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has ousted the Congress from many states. For Kharge, wh

Rahul wishes Diwali to Bharat Jodo Yatra workers, offers silver coins

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wished Diwali to all Bharat Yatris, drivers and labourers working in the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra camp, offered them silver coins and sweets, and hoped their faith in India's true values will defeat hate. In his letter to them, he said their faith in India's true values will also illuminate the path forward. He also gifted his fellow Bharat Yatris who are walking the entire yatra and the workers and drivers with a silver coin and sweets. "We have walked hand in hand in the beautiful Bharat Jodo Yatra - your faith, your belief in yourselves and in India's true values will defeat hate and illuminate the path forward. "Don't talk, act. Don't say, show. Don't promise, prove. I wish you and your family a very Happy Deepawali," Gandhi said in his letter to all yatris and those working at the camp. The Congress also tweeted Gandhi's letter and said, "Wow... beautiful...full of affection. On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, Rahul Gandhi ji gave a wonderful

UK PM Sunak: Tharoor stirs Twitter storm after 'visible minority' remark

With many in India expressing their happiness, including Sunak's father-in-law and founder of Infosys Narayana Murthy, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has stirred up a storm on Twitter

Rahul Gandhi to attend Congress Prez-elect Kharge's coronation on Wednesday

Rahul Gandhi will be attending President-elect Mallikarjun Kharge's coronation as Congress chief on Wednesday while the Bharat Jodo Yatra has taken a Diwali break

Man booked for indecent online post on Congress leader in Karnataka

A case has been registered at the women's police station here against a person who uploaded the photo and video of Congress leader Prathibha Kulai in a derogatory manner on social media. Shyama Sudarshan Bhat, a resident of the city, was booked for outraging the modesty of a woman by circulating obscene material on social media, based on a complaint from Kulai, police said on Saturday. In her complaint, Kulai said the person had edited her images and videos taken during the October 18 protest against the toll gate at Surathkal and circulated them on social media in an indecent manner. The accused also posted her image surrounded by the police personnel with an obscene comment, the complaint said. Kulai demanded that immediate action should be taken against the man who had outraged her modesty, insulted and seriously dented her image as a social activist. City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said the police are searching for the accused and he will soon be traced.

BJP pushes MBBS in Hindi; Madhya Pradesh Congress questions timing of move

The Congress has questioned the timing of the project as the assembly elections in the state are scheduled in November-December 2023

'Ek Nath, Kamal Nath': Cong powerhouse to be party's MP face in 2023

Kamal Nath has promised to defeat those MLAs who defected from the Congress and toppled its government in 2019

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi to wind up Karnataka leg, enter Telangana

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' resumed from Yermarus here to make a final exit from Karnataka and enter Telangana via that state's Gudeballur in Mahabubnagar on Sunday morning. According to Congress office-bearers, the yatra will halt at Gudebellur where Gandhi will stay for the day. During his journey in Telangana, the former Congress president will walk through Makthal, Narayanpet, Kodangal, Pargi, Vikarabad, Sadashivapet, Shankarampet and Madur for 16 days covering 376 km, before entering Maharashtra via Nanded district. Gandhi had started his padayatra on September 7 from Kanyakumari and entered Karnataka on September 30 via Gundlupet. According to the Wayanad MP, the objective of his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is to unite the country against "divisive forces" that are "spreading hatred" in the country.

Left could rule Tripura due to backdoor understanding with Congress: BJP

The BJP on Saturday alleged that the Left Front could rule Tripura for long years because of a "backdoor understanding" with the Congress. BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee said although the two parties dominated Tripura since its statehood in 1972, the saffron party changed the state's "political arithmetic" by winning 36 seats in the 60-member House in the 2018 assembly elections, thus pushing Congress to the margins. "During elections, CPI(M) used to assert that the Left Front will win 50 seats, while Congress claimed it will return to power. When results were declared, the Left's assertion came true, while leaders of the grand old party went incommunicado," he said at a party programme in Gandacherra in Dhalai district. "People of the state are well aware of the tricky politics of both the Left and the Congress. The political alignment between the two parties, that are advocating for an alliance among the secular forces, is not new in the state," he said, while urging the

Inflation, unemployment key issues for people in Himachal, says Congress

The Congress has accused the BJP of "double standards" on the issue of dynastic politics in Himachal and said sons of some BJP leaders have been given tickets for the assembly polls in the state

Congress, BJP want FIR to be registered against CPI(M) leaders: Swapna

The sexual assault charges raised by gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case prime accused Swapna Suresh against three prominent leaders of the ruling CPI(M) triggered a political controversy in Kerala on Saturday. Opposition Congress and BJP leaders urged the police to register a case against the trio and asked the Left government to shed its silence over the issue. Suresh, while talking to a TV channel, had alleged on Friday that the leaders -- two former ministers and an ex-Assembly speaker -- had sought sexual favours from her. However, neither the leaders nor the Marxist party reacted to the startling charges so far. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said it has been seen in Kerala's history that an FIR gets registered and investigated when such grave allegations are levelled. Pointing out the recent rape and assault cases registered against their party MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly, the Congress leaders also said if a case

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul to enter Telangana on Sunday

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi will enter Gudebellur in Telangana on Sunday morning, after exiting Karnataka from Raichur. The Telangana leg of the march will begin from Gudebellur in Mahabubnagar district. Telangana Congress has made elaborate arrangements to welcome Rahul's marathon walk at the entry point on Karnataka-Telangana border. After breakfast at Gudebellur, the Yatra will break for Diwali for three days from October 23 noon till October 26, a press release from TPCC said. After that, the Yatra will resume on October 27 morning from Gudebellur. It will reach Maktal and continue for 16 days in Telangana, covering 19 assembly and 7 Parliamentary constituencies for a distance of 375 km, before entering Maharashtra on November 7. The 16-day yatra will take three days for Diwali and a one-day general break on November 4, it said. Rahul will be undertaking 20-25 KM 'padyatra' per day holding corner meetings and will participate in a meet at Necklace Ro

Govt cheating farmers, MSP hike less than even inflation rate: Congress

The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of cheating farmers and said the Minimum Support Price for rabi crops announced by it is even lesser than the rate of inflation. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said even as the BJP dispensation is patting its back for MSPs, it has in fact "duped the farmers" and claimed that their hard labour has got lost in the lights of Diwali. "The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers' hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmer and left them to shed tears of blood," he said in a series of tweets in Hindi. Calling out the BJP for what it called as "fraud with farmers", he said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP and demanded that the MSP law granting legal status to MSP is urgently required. "BJP's 'Shakuni Chausar'

Kharge's presidency of Congress in Modi era is a poisoned chalice

It's time to admit the Congress's problem is not, in fact, the Gandhis. If anything, they hold together a party that would otherwise split into multiple factions

'PayCM campaign': Karnataka HC quashes cases against 2 Congress leaders

The Karnataka High Court quashed cases against two Congress leaders in connection with the 'PayCM campaign' launched by the grand old party to target the BJP-led government in the state

Modi's frequent visits to Gujarat betray people's disaffection: Congress

The Congress on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his long visits to poll-bound Gujarat saying it indicates all is not well for the BJP in his home state and he should open up a camp office there. Congress' In-charge for Gujarat affairs Raghu Sharma on Friday claimed that there is a lot of anger against the BJP in the state, and called the ruling party "anti-tribal." He said the party's stance towards tribals was evident from the recent attacks on Congress MLA and tribal leader Anant Patel, which he alleged was done at the behest of Gujarat BJP chief C R Patil. Sharma also accused new entrants, Aam Aadmi Party and AIMIM, as "B-teams" of the BJP, as they were aiding the saffron party in elections across the country, including in Gujarat. He took a dig at Union Home minister Amit Shah saying he is always seen in Gujarat these days, which is indicative of the rising unrest among local people in the state, which will be reflected in the upcoming assembly ...

PM Modi accuses previous governments of neglecting centres of faith

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the previous governments of leaving the centres of faith across the country in a state of neglect for years and claimed that these places are now being restored to their lost glory. Citing the examples of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction work has been carried out in recent years, Modi attributed the "years of neglect" of these places to a "slave mentality". "Pride in our own legacy and every possible effort for development are the foundation of a 21st-century India," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Mana village on the India-China border, after laying the foundation stones of two ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib. Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers at the famous Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand.

Congress committed to grant special status to Andhra: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completed Andhra Pradesh leg of his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' with the reiteration that his party remains committed to grant special category status to the state

'Untraceable' Kerala MLA appears before media; says innocent in rape case

A day after he was granted anticipatory bail by a court in a case of rape and attempt to murder, Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly on Friday appeared before the media and claimed that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong as alleged by the complainant woman. The two-time legislator expressed confidence that he could prove charges against him as wrong in the court and could come out clean. Kunnappilly, who met reporters separately at his house here, also said he gave his explanation to the Congress party as directed by the KPCC and it was up to them to decide on further steps. Asked why he had gone absconding after the victim approached the police with the complaint, the Perumbavoor MLA just said his anticipatory bail plea was before the court. "My anticipatory bail plea was before the court. I have not done anything wrong. I submitted every proof for that before the court. It will be proved that I have committed nothing wrong," Kunnappilly said. The police and party leadershi

Rahul Gandhi crosses again into Karnataka in his Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Andhra Pradesh leg of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on Friday as he once again crossed into neighbouring Karnataka. After an overnight stay, Rahul Gandhi resumed his foot march at Mantralayam on Friday morning. He crossed the AP border at Raichur and returned to Karnataka. The Wayanad MP's yatra passed through Anantapuramu and Kurnool districts in two legs, the first one for a few hours on October 14 and the next for four days from the October 18. Huge crowds enthusiastically lined up to greet the Congress leader. Rahul Gandhi himself observed that the Yatra drew "tremendous response" in AP, and pointed out that his party leaders were also "quite surprised at the enthusiasm and response that we have had." He saw the Bharat Jodo Yatra as "a very good starting point" to build the Congress in the state. Post the bifurcation of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh for the creation of a new Telangana state, the Congress has lost its moorings in AP. But, du