Page 3 - Indian National Congress

Rahul Gandhi condoles demise of former Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal

Expressing solidarity with the family during their time of grief, Gandhi added, "In this difficult time, my condolences are with his grieving family, supporters, and well-wishers"

Congress has 'sense of timing' to resolve leadership issue: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said the Congress high command possesses the sense of timing to resolve the intensifying "power tussle" between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar. He said the 130-year-old party will intervene at the right time. Speaking to reporters, the minister said Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have agreed to travel to Delhi for a meeting when summoned by the party high command. "Nobody has given any official invitation or statement on the meeting in New Delhi. The CM and the Deputy CM have said that they will go to Delhi if they are invited by the Congress president or AICC general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala. Let the invitation come from Delhi, then only it will be decided," Kharge, who is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son, said. Asked about the increasing confusion, Kharge said, "The high command has the sense of timing. It will take a call, keeping in mind the right time." He urged peo

26 BLOs deaths in 20 days like 'murder in daylight': Supriya Shrinate

Earlier, on Wednesday, she accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "blatant vote theft" through the SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal

Will settle CM leadership issue after talks with senior leaders: Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said he will call for a meeting of senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar in New Delhi to discuss the raging leadership issue in Karnataka. He said the leaders will discuss on the way forward and settle the issue, and there by put an end to the "confusion" that is there. The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified, amid speculations about chief minister change in the state after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, in the backdrop of an alleged "power-sharing" agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023. "After going to Delhi, I will call three-four important leaders and discuss. After the discussion, we will say how to go ahead; there by put an end to the confusion," Kharge told reporters here. Asked of the CM and his deputy will be called to Delhi, he said, "we should certainly call them and discuss.

Priyank Kharge denies talks with Rahul Gandhi on Karnataka CM change

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday played down reports that he has held discussions with top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the leadership change issue in the state, during a recent meeting, and has conveyed the latter's message to CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar. Maintaining that the Congress high command will decide and give clarity on the issue of CM change in Karnataka, he said, he met Gandhi to explain about KEO (Knowledge-driven, Economical, Open-source), an AI-ready personal computer, that was launched during the recent Bengaluru tech summit, and to discuss on "vote chori" cases in the state. The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified, amid speculations about chief minister change in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, citing purported "power-sharing" agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023. According to reports Kharge has conveyed Rahul Gandhi's messa

Ambedkar, Constitution subjected to 'ferocious assault' by RSS: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday recalled that BR Ambedkar had moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly 76 years ago for the formal adoption of the draft Constitution and claimed that Ambedkar as well as the Constitution were then subject to a "ferocious assault" by the RSS which has continued since. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also recalled that in his closing speech before moving the resolution, Ambedkar had hailed the role of the Congress in drafting the Constitution. Today, exactly 76 years ago, Dr. Ambedkar moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly for the formal adoption of the Draft Constitution of India, he said. "Ambedkar's closing speech on that occasion is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever made by anybody anywhere in the 20th century," Ramesh said on X. "During the initial part of his speech, Dr. Ambedkar had said this: 'The task of the Drafting Committee would have been a very difficult one if this Constituent Assembly had

Congress to rally against alleged 'vote chori' at Ramlila Maidan on Dec 14

The Congress on Friday announced that it will hold a rally on December 14 at Ramlila Maidan here, against the alleged "vote chori". It alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now a "blatantly partisan player" that is "completely destroying" the very concept of a level-playing field for all political parties during elections. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the spectre of "vote chori" is the biggest danger looming over our democracy today. "To send a message across the nation against these attempts to destroy our Constitution, the Congress will hold the 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' Maha Rally on December 14 (1.30 pm onwards) at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi," he said on X. "We have received crores of signatures from every corner of India, rejecting the BJP-ECI's nefarious tactics like adding bogus voters, deleting opposition-inclined voters, and manipulating voter rolls at a mass scale," Venugopal said. Every Indian has seen how the ECI bends rule

Congress rules out alliance with MNS for BMC polls, cites party's violence

The Congress on Friday reiterated its political aversion to MNS for the upcoming civic body polls, saying the party will never tie up with those who break the law or intimidate, a reference to the sons-of-the-soil brand of politics of the Raj Thackeray-led party. Hitting back, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Sandeep Deshpande said the Raj Thackeray-led party is an independent entity and not a member of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP). "Raj Thackeray makes decisions in our party. We have nothing to do with what anyone says," he said. The Congress recently announced that it would contest the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) independently, apparently due to the growing proximity between Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, and his cousin Raj Thackeray's MNS. The solo contest plan had prompted Sena (UBT) to ask Congress not to rush into any decision and emphasise the importance of the Opposition unity. "The

Nehru's works offer 'compass' to India's evolving conscience: Rahul Gandhi

India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's writings are not just history, they are a record of India's evolving conscience, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, asserting that for anyone seeking to understand the nation's democratic journey, his words remain a powerful compass. Gandhi's remarks came over the completion of the digitisation of 'Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru'. The 'Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru' is now online with an entire set of 100 volumes, containing some 35,000 documents and about 3,000 illustrations related to the country's first prime minister, digitised and available free of cost for downloading. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also hailed the development. "Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes' Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In an era of deliberate distortion, disinformation and misinformation regarding Pandit Nehru and his colossal achievements for India, it is worthwhile to digitise his writings for truth an

'Diplomatic setback': Congress on US panel report citing Pak's 'success'

The Congress on Thursday described as "yet another severe setback" to India's diplomacy a US commission reportedly mentioning in its report of "Pakistan's military success over India" in a four-day clash, and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs will register their objections to it. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said US President Donald Trump has claimed 60 times so far that he had "halted Operation Sindoor" but the prime minister has kept "completely quiet". The party's communications in-charge said the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission has just submitted its annual report to the US Congress. The commission set up jointly by the US Senate and House of Representatives has twelve independent members, Ramesh pointed out. "The 2025 Annual Report is almost 800 pages long. The sections on pages 108 and 109 are simply astonishing and beyond understanding. It describes the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025 orchestrated

Bihar elections results fuel speculation on INDIA bloc's future in UP

The sweeping victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections has caused ripples across the country, but perhaps more pronounced in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections are due in 2027. Political circles across Uttar Pradesh are abuzz with conversations about whether the model that helped the opposition secure substantial gains against the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections can survive the shockwave sent from neighbouring Bihar. The results have not only boosted the morale of the ruling BJP, but have also introduced fresh doubts, tensions, and strategic recalculations in the opposition camp. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sharp political attack -- calling the Congress "Muslim League" and a "Maoist" party and predicting an impending split in the party -- ?has further intensified the debate. His remarks are being interpreted as not just an assessment of the Congress' internal state but also as a strategic attempt to shape the political narrative ahead

NDA's Bihar encore: Task cut out for RJD; Cong stares at existential crisis

Congress posted one of its weakest-ever results in Bihar, prompting PM Modi to forecast a split, while RJD too failed to widen its caste coalition despite a strong vote share and young-voter outreach

Rajnath slams Revanth, says Congress dividing nation on religious lines

Hitting out at Telangana CM Revanth Reddy for his "Congress means Muslims" comment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday alleged the opposition party was trying to divide the country on the basis of religion. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Bihar's Aurangabad and Sasaram districts on the last day of the campaign for the assembly elections, Singh claimed that the BJP-led NDA does not divide people on the basis of religion, caste or creed, as it believes in the "politics of humanity". "Have you heard what the Telangana chief minister said? He said that 'Congress means Muslims and Muslims means Congress'. What is the meaning of this statement? This statement is aimed at dividing the country. Is this the kind of politics you stand for? This is Congress culture," he said. Singh alleged that the Congress and RJD were trying to defame the NDA for "their politics of appeasement". "The Congress and RJD are trying to divide the society based on caste, creed and religion. This election

Trump ignored MEA's denial on India's Russian oil imports, says Congress

Taking a swipe at the government, the Congress on Tuesday said the matter of India's imports of oil from Russia has been raised by US President Donald Trump thrice in the past five days, and he has "brushed aside" the MEA's attempts at denial of any conversation in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised stopping Russian oil imports. The opposition party's assertion came after Trump said India is going to pay massive tariffs if it continues to buy oil from Russia, while reiterating that he got assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that New Delhi is going to halt its oil purchases from Moscow. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The matter of India's imports of oil from Russia has been raised by President Trump now thrice in the past five days. And no doubt he will keep increasing this tally as he prepares to meet President (Vladimir) Putin in Budapest later in the week. "President Trump says he has spoken to his good friend Mr Modi and

Bihar Assembly polls: Congress names 7 more candidates, total reaches 61

The Congress on Monday released another list of six candidates for the Bihar Assembly polls, taking the total number of candidates announced by the party to 60. The Congress' list was announced post-midnight, even as a formal seat-sharing deal has alluded the Mahagathbandhan with the RJD and the Congress, the two main constituents of the alliance, unable to reach an understanding. According to the list of six candidates, the Congress fielded Surendra Prasad Kushwaha from Valmiki Nagar, Abidur Rehman from Araria, Jalil Mastan from Amour, Tauquir Alam from Barari, Praveen Singh Kushwaha from Kahalgaon and Vinod Chaudhary from Sikandra (SC). Chinks in the INDIA bloc's armour became all too obvious on Sunday in poll-bound Bihar, where disgruntled aspirants in the RJD and the Congress had a field day charging the leadership with having put tickets up for sale. The last day for filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase is Monday. The Congress and the RJD have continued

'Mauni Baba': Congress slams PM Modi after Trump repeats Russian oil claim

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Saturday said the PM suddenly becomes a "mauni baba" whenever US President Donald Trump states that he stopped Operation Sindoor or that India will reduce its oil imports from Russia. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said President Trump has yet again stated that he has been assured by his "good friend" that India will cut back on its imports of oil from Russia. "But that good friend suddenly becomes a Mauni Baba whenever President Trump says he stopped Operation Sindoor and now when he says that India will reduce its imports of oil from Russia," Ramesh said in a post on X, taking a dig at PM Modi. Meanwhile, India's trade deficit with China during April-Sep 2025 increased to USD 54.4 billion as compared to USD 49.6 billion in the same period last year, the Congress leader said. His remarks come hours after the US president repeated his claims that India will not be buying oil from Russ

Congress releases first list of 48 candidates ahead of Bihar Assembly polls

The Congress on Thursday released its first list of 48 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, fielding its state unit chief Rajesh Ram from Kutumba seat and CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan from Kadwa. The party announced the candidates even before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement with its Mahagathbandhan allies, including the RJD. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of polls is October 17, while that for the second phase is October 20. The Congress leadership has been in talks with its alliance partners, including the RJD and the Left. According to the list, the party has fielded Bihar Youth Congress chief Prakash Garib Das from Bachhwada seat. Jayesh Mangal Singh will contest from Bagaha, Amit Giri from Nautan and Abhishek Ranjan from Chanpatia seat. From Bettiah seat, the party has fielded Wasi Ahmed, while Shyam Bihari Prasad will be its candidate from Raxaul. From Govindgan seat, the Congress named Shashi Bhushan Rai alias Gappu Rai as

Bihar Congress finalises poll seats, candidates to be announced soon

Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar on Thursday claimed that the party has finalised the seats it will be contesting in the upcoming assembly polls and claimed that consent has been received from "alliance partners". Talking to reporters here upon his return from Delhi, Kumar said the Congress central election committee has also approved the list of candidates, and a formal announcement will be made "in a day or two." "Decks have been cleared. We had identified the seats after talks with alliance partners. The names of candidates we proposed have been approved by the central election committee", the BPCC chief said. He, however, refused to divulge further details, saying "we are to accommodate some new entrants in the INDIA bloc. The process is in the final stages. In a day or two, we will be through and come up with a formal announcement". The INDIA bloc in Bihar is helmed by the RJD and includes three Left parties CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI and CPI(M), all of which had contested t

Raebareli lynching: Congress demands UP CM's resignation, SIT probe

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken to the father and brother of a Dalit youth who was lynched in Raebareli and stands in complete solidarity with them in this hour of unbearable grief, AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera has said. In a post on X on Sunday, Khera said the horrific lynching is both heartbreaking and enraging. "In his final moments, as he was being mercilessly beaten with sticks and belts, the deceased young man remembered his last hope - Shri Rahul Gandhi," he said. "For Rahul ji, who represents Raebareli in Parliament and considers its people his family, this tragedy is deeply wounding. He has personally spoken to the father and brother of the deceased and stands in complete solidarity with them in this hour of unbearable grief," Khera said. "He (Gandhi) has also expressed his profound concern over the dangerous normalisation of lynching in India, vowing that such violent elements must face their legal end. Justice must be served," the Congress

Rahul Gandhi begins South America visit; set to meet leaders, students

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a visit to four South American countries, where he is expected to interact with political leaders, students, and businessmen. Congress' media and publicity department, in charge, Pawan Khera, informed this without disclosing how many days Gandhi will be out of the country. "Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a visit to South America. He is scheduled to engage with political leaders, university students, and members of the business community across four countries," Khera said in his post on X. According to the Congress, Gandhi will visit Brazil and Colombia, where he is expected to interact with university students. He will hold meetings with presidents and senior leaders across multiple countries, strengthening democratic and strategic ties, the party said. Gandhi will engage with business leaders to explore opportunities as India seeks to diversify trade and partnerships in the