Page 29 - Indian National Congress

Congress announces third list of 16 candidates for Maharashtra polls

Earlier this week, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance revealed its seat-sharing arrangement for 255 constituencies, assigning 85 seats to each party. The remaining 23 seats in the state Assembly

Who is saving Sebi chief, asks Cong; Rahul flags market risks to investors

The Congress on Saturday intensified its offensive against SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch, asking what was keeping her from appearing before a parliamentary panel. Shortly after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in an Instagram video, flagged "risks to billions of retail investors in the stock market", the party posed three questions on Buch, who skipped a recent appearance before the Public Accounts Committee by citing a last-minute emergency. "Why is Madhabi Buch reluctant to answer questions before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament? Who is behind the plan to protect her from being answerable to the PAC? Is there a well-thought-out conspiracy to risk the hard-earned investments of crores of small-medium investors and benefit Modi ji's dear friend Adani?" the Congress' media department chairman Pawan Khera asked in a statement. Gandhi earlier posted a video on Instagram in which he is heard speaking to Khera on the phone and urging him to devise innovative ways of ...

NCP (SP) releases second candidates' list for Maharashtra Assembly polls

The NCP (SP) on Saturday declared a second list of 22 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, fielding the party MLA Sandeep Khirsagar, from Beed. Sunita Charoskar has been nominated from Dindori in Nashik district against deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal, fielded by Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The NCP (SP) has so far fielded 67 candidates. Declaring the latest list of candidates, Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil said no formula over seats has been fixed among MVA constituents for the assembly polls and that decisions are being made on the winnability of candidates. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents, Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), had previously said that they would contest 85 seats each in the November 20 Maharashtra elections. However, discussions on the final seat-sharing pact are still underway. Ninety or eighty-five seats no formula has been fixed. Whoever can win, that party will be considered. Our effort is to put forth our best ...

Congress targets Kerala CM over horse-trading allegations against LDF MLA

The Opposition Congress on Saturday targeted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the horse-trading allegations that cropped up in connection with ruling LDF MLA Thomas K Thomas and criticised him for not ordering an investigation into the serious charges despite having knowledge about it. The grand-old party alleged that the Left veteran did nothing even after coming to know days ago that a ruling MLA had tried to woo two other LDF legislators into the Sangh Parivar-led front. While speaking to reporters in this northern district, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that Vijayan would do only things that satisfy the Sangh Parivar leadership. Accusing the chief minister of ruling with the fear of the Sangh Parivar, Satheesan said Vijayan is worried about cases being probed by the Central agencies. "That's why he has sent ADGP Ajith Kumar as a messenger to the RSS leaders...and ensured the victory of the BJP in Thrissur by disrupting Pooram...that's why he d

Maharashtra polls: Cong drops 2nd list of 23 candidates; see all big names

The Congress is contesting the polls in an alliance with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Uddhavy Thackeray's Shiv Sena, and they plan to contest 85 seats each

Flare-ups in HP reveal Cong not immune to communalism: Prashant Bhushan

Sectarian flare-ups in Himachal Pradesh is a proof that Congress is not immune to communal politics, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said on Tuesday. The northern hill state is afflicted with Hindu-Muslim confrontations for over a month, ostensibly over a mosque in Sanjauli near Shimla which some partisan groups are demanding must be demolished. "The way this incident happened and spread to other parts of Himachal shows that due to the work done by the Hindutva organisations, communal poison has spread. So they could mobilise people. "It also shows that even Congress is not immune to this disease," Bhushan said at the launch of a fact-finding report which carried its investigations from HP. "Even Congress has people who are opportunistically communal, even if they do not have a communal ideology. They feel they can use communalisation for gaining votes," he said, terming the trend dangerous. He said that while Rahul Gandhi did Bharat Jodo Yatra, some leaders of his party were not

Maharashtra polls: MVA seat-sharing stalemate resolved, announcement today

Top leaders of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance met here late Tuesday night with indications that the seat-sharing arrangement for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections has been finalised. The announcement was likely to be made on Wednesday with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stating that a press conference would be held. There was no confirmation from any of the MVA leaders of media reports that the Congress will contest 105, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 and NCP (SP) 84 of the 288 assembly seats. The remaining seats would be given to smaller parties in the alliance. After the talks, especially those between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, hit a roadblock, senior state Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat first met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and then Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Later, Thorat and other leaders of the MVA again sat together for a meeting that lasted for over five hours at a luxury hotel here. Thorat said AICC's Maharashtra ...

Congress fields spouses of MPs- Warring, Randhawa for Punjab bypolls

The Congress released its candidate list on Tuesday for the November 13 bypolls to four assembly seats in Punjab, fielding Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring's wife Amrita Warring from Gidderbaha and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa's wife Jatinder Kaur from Dera Baba Nanak. The bypolls to the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala seats were necessitated after the sitting MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha. The party fielded Amrita Warring from the Gidderbaha assembly segment. Her husband Raja Warring had won the seat in 2012, 2017 and 2022. The seat fell vacant after sitting MLA Raja Warring won the Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana this year. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was the Dera Baba Nanak MLA when he won the parliamentary election from Gurdaspur and vacated the assembly seat. The Congress has fielded his wife Jatinder Kaur from the seat. Sukhjinder Randhawa had won the Dera Baba Nanak assembly seat in 2002, 2012, 2017 and 2022. The Congress fielded Ku

Congress announces candidates for Bengal bypolls in 6 constituencies

The Congress on Tuesday announced candidates for six assembly constituencies in West Bengal where bypolls will be held on November 13. The Congress nominees for the bypolls are Paresh Nath Sarkar for Naihati and Habib Reza Chowdhury for Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Bikash Champro Mary for Madarihat in Alipurduar, Shyamal Kumar Ghosh for Medinipur in West Medinipur, Tusharkanti Sannigrahi for Taldangra in Bankura, and Harihar Roy Singha for Sitai in Cooch Behar district. The electoral contest is expected to be a litmus test for all major political parties following the doctors' protests over the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The stage is set for a four-cornered contest, as the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had fought elections in alliance with the Congress in previous polls since 2021, announced candidates for five seats on Monday, including one for the CPI(ML). The Left Front is likely to support the Indian Secular Front (ISF) candid

Delhi air quality crisis sparks blame game; Congress slams AAP, Centre

While the air pollution crisis in Delhi is a recurring issue, it holds additional significance this year due to upcoming Assembly elections in the union territory

Raut disappointed with MVA seat-sharing delays, criticises Congress leaders

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday expressed disappointment over the delay in the seat-sharing talks among MVA partners and claimed that Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. Talking to reporters, Raut said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have reached a consensus on 200 of the 288 assembly seats. The Rajya Sabha member said he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik and the party's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday morning over seat-sharing. The Sena (UBT) leader said he would also speak to top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi later in the day. The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left. Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi frequently and then discussions happen. The decision will have to be taken at the earliest, Raut said. Late on Thursday evening, Maharashtra Congress president

Congress stronghold Konkan turns into a battleground for Sena vs Sena

Maharashtra's coastal belt, stretching from Mumbai to the southernmost district of Sindhudurg, was once a Congress citadel, but the party lost ground to the undivided Shiv Sena over the years. The coastal Konkan belt's economy was known to be dependent on money orders sent from Mumbai, where most of its residents migrated for work and business after Maharashtra achieved statehood in 1960. But the situation is no longer the same. The region accounts for 75 of the total 288 state assembly seats, including 36 in Mumbai, and is expected to play a key role in deciding which coalition ruling Mahayuti or opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) governs Maharashtra after the November 20 polls. Former CM and BJP Lok Sabha MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Narayan Rane, who hails from the picturesque region, told PTI that Konkan has now become self-sufficient, thriving on exports of fish, mangoes and cashews. "Youths are embracing entrepreneurship. Infrastructure has also expanded with enhanced air a

Manipur Congress slams BJP for 4-year delay in holding ADC elections

Manipur Congress alleged the BJP government in the state of being "anti-tribal" and "anti-hill" people for not holding autonomous district council (ADC) elections for the last four years. Manipur has six autonomous district councils. State Congress president Keisham Meghachandra in a post on X said, "The BJP government is anti-hill people, anti-tribal as this BJP government has deliberately chosen not to conduct ADCs elections for the last 4 years." Keisham also lashed out at the resolution passed by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) under the Manipur Legislative Assembly on October 14 stating that the committee following a threadbare discussion unanimously resolved to "recommend to the government of Manipur to conduct the long pending Autonomous District Councils election as soon as possible." The committee also informed that in order to run the administration of the ADCs, a committee consisting of 20 members for each ADC shall be constituted of whom 18 shall be elected from former A

Maharashtra polls: Congress' first list likely on Oct 20; BJP's in a week

The power struggle between the two coalitions, Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi, and among the six parties within the alliances is expected to shape an interesting election battle in Maharashtra

Maharashtra elections: Coastal belt's 75 seats crucial for power shift

The serene coastal belt of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, offers an interesting backdrop for a showdown between Mahayuti and MVA alliances in the next month's assembly elections, especially between two rival Shiv Senas. The most urbanised and industrial region, including the Mumbai metropolitan area, sends 75 MLAs to the assembly and 12 members to Lok Sabha. The coastal Konkan division in Maharashtra, spread from Sindhudurg to Mumbai, also covers Palghar, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts. Voting will be held on all 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Mahayuti alliance of Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP, bagged seven seats. The BJP triumphed in Palghar, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, and Mumbai North, while the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, had a face-saver in Raigad where its leader Sunil Tatkare retained his seat. In the upcoming polls, former Union Minister Narayan Rane, who won the ...

Maharashtra Assembly polls: Gehlot, Baghel among Congress' poll observers

Maharashtra elections: The Congress has named former Union Minister Mukul Wasnik and AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande as state election senior coordinators

Punjab Cong seeks postponement of panchayat polls amid irregularities

The Punjab Congress has sought postponement of the panchayat polls slated for Tuesday, alleging irregularities in the nomination process and also apprehending irregularities during the counting of votes. A delegation of the Congress, led by leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly and senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, on Monday met the Punjab State Election Commissioner here and urged that the polls be deferred by three weeks. Elections to 13,229 gram panchayats are slated to be held on October 15. Speaking to reporters after the meeting here, Bajwa said the delegation has requested the state election commissioner to postpone the panchayat elections by three weeks. He alleged that "massive irregularities" were committed during the nomination process as nominations of many opposition-back candidates were "wrongfully" rejected. Many candidates were not given no-objection certificates (NOC) required during the nominations filing, he alleged. Many people, whose nominations w

Congress selling hatred in 'shop of love': Naqvi slams Kharge's remarks

Slamming Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's BJP is a "party of terrorists" remark, senior leader of the saffron party Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Sunday that the Congress is selling hatred in its "shop of love". Naqvi said the opposition party has become a "multinational distribution centre" of "certificates" labelling nationalists as terrorists and anti-nationals as nationalists. Kharge alleged on Saturday that the BJP is a "party of terrorists", as he hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent remarks that the Congress is being run by a "gang of urban Naxals". Kharge also accused those in the saffron party of "lynching and beating" people, and committing atrocities against the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Talking to reporters here, Naqvi said in its "depression of defeat", the Congress has become "hostage to hopelessness" due to its "habit of hate". The "dynasty's animosity and hostility" towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi is becomin

Mayawati opts to stay away from alliance with regional parties, NDA, INDIA

BSP chief Mayawati Friday announced her party will no longer form alliances with regional forces in Uttar Pradesh or any other state, citing unsatisfactory results from previous partnerships, and also continue to maintain distance from the BJP and Congress-led alliances. The decision was taken during a review meeting of the "bitter experience of the Haryana assembly election results and prior Punjab elections", the former four-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a series of posts in Hindi on social media platform X. "The BSP had consistently transferred its votes to alliance partners during elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states, but the inability of these partners to reciprocate had led to disappointing results, which demoralized party workers and hurt the party's movement," she said. She noted that it was important to protect the party cadres from further disappointment and damage to the "movement". "In this context, considering the bitter experience of the Haryana ...

Girls need real opportunities to lead, not just slogans: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday called for ensuring that girls have equal opportunities to lead and are included in decision-making processes, asserting that mere slogans cannot usher in real change. In a post on X on International Day of the Girl Child, Kharge said gender equality and justice are essential for achieving social, political, and economic progress. "This year's theme for #DayOfTheGirl is 'Girls' vision for the future' which conveys both the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls' voices and vision for the future," he said. "We must ensure that girls have equal opportunities to lead by placing them at the forefront of change, amplifying their voices, responding to their needs, and including them in decision-making processes," the Congress president said. Mere slogans cannot usher in real change, he asserted. Kharge said it is vital to listen to girls, to invest in proven solutions that will accelerate progress towards