Page 35 - Indian National Congress

Assembly bypolls: INDIA bloc wins 3 seats, leading in 8; BJP leading in 1

INDIA bloc parties won three assembly seats and were leading on eight, while the BJP and an Independent were ahead on one each as votes were counted on Saturday for the by-elections held earlier this week, according to the trends on the EC website. AAP's Mohinder Bhagat won the Jalandhar West seat in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's wife and Congress candidate Kamlesh Thakur won in Dehra and TMC's Krishna Kalyani in West Bengal's Raiganj. The Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), AAP and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are the INDIA bloc parties that fielded candidates in the bypolls held on Wednesday in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. In Punjab, Bhagat won the Jalandhar West seat by defeating his nearest rival and BJP nominee Sheetal Angural by a margin of 37,325 votes, the Election Commission (EC) said. The seat fell vacant after Angural resigned as the AAP legislator and joined the BJP in

Congress candidates lead in Manglaur, Badrinath seats of Uttarakhand

Congress candidates for the Badrinath and Manglaur assembly bypolls in Uttarakhand were leading in both the seats on Saturday, officials said. The counting of votes for the by-elections in the two assembly constituencies, held on Wednesday, began at 8 am. Congress' Qazi Nizamuddin was ahead by 87,365 votes against the BJP's Kartar Singh Bhadana in the sixth round of counting in Manglaur. BSP's Ubaidur Rahman, who was behind Nizamuddin at the second spot in the initial rounds of counting, is now trailing at the third spot in the seat. The seat was with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but fell vacant after Rahman's father and sitting MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari died in October 2023. In the Badrinath assembly seat, Congress' Lakhpat Singh Butola was leading by 1,935 votes against BJP's Rajendra Bhandari in the seventh round of counting. The seat fell vacant after Bhandari resigned from the Congress and the state assembly to join the BJP just before the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.

Assembly bypolls results: INDIA bloc candidates lead in 11 of 13 seats

Candidates of INDIA bloc parties -- Congress, AAP, TMC and DMK -- on Saturday were leading in 11 of the 13 assembly seats where bypolls were held earlier this week, according to the counting trends on the Election Commission (EC) website. While the BJP was in the lead in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, its partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the JD(U), was leading in Rupauli in Bihar. Voting for the bypolls in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu were held on Wednesday. In Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Jalandhar West assembly bypoll candidate Mohinder Bhagat appears to be heading for a victory from the seat as he was leading by more than 23,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress nominee Surinder Kaur, according to the EC. Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates Krishna Kalyani, Mukut Nami Adhikari, Madhuparna Tahkur and Supti Pandey are in the lead in assembly bypolls in Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagda and ...

Himachal Pradesh bypolls: Cong leading in all three assembly by-polls

Congress' candidates, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's wife, are in the lead in all three assembly constituencies in the state where bypolls were held earlier this week, officials said on Saturday. The counting of votes for the by-elections in Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh, held on Wednesday, began at 8 am. Sukhu's wife Kamlesh Thakur was leading by 636 votes against her nearest rival and BJP candidate Hoshiyar Singh after the fifth round of counting, the officials said. In the Hamirpur assembly seat, Congress' Pushpinder Verma was ahead by 1,704 votes against BJP candidate Ashish Sharma after the second round of counting, they said. Congress candidate Hardeep Singh Baba was leading by 646 votes in the first round against BJP candidate K L Thakur in the Nalagarh assembly seat, the officials. Thirteen candidates were in the fray from the three seats. The Nalagarh assembly constituency had recorded the highest polling at 79.04 per cent, followed by Hamirpur

June 4 to go down as 'Modi Mukti Diwas': Cong on 'Samvidahaan Hatya Diwas'

The Congress on Friday slammed the government's move to declare June 25, the day the Emergency was declared in 1975, as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' as yet another "headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also accused the BJP of insulting Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar by using a word like "murder" with the "sacred word Constitution". Taking a swipe at the government over the decision, the opposition party said that from now on, the people of India will observe "Aajivika Hatya Diwas" on November 8, the day demonetisation was announced in 2016. Kharge alleged the BJP-RSS wants to implement 'Manusmriti' by erasing the Constitution so the rights of Dalits, tribals and backward classes can be attacked. In a post in Hindi on X, he said, "Narendra Modi ji, in the last 10 years, your government has marked 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' everyday. You have snatched self-respect from every poor and deprived section of the country every

BJP's dream of changing Constitution was shattered, says Pawan Khera

On June 4 those who were dreaming of crossing 400 were reduced to 240, Khera said

Three Maha Congress MLAs skip key party meeting ahead of council polls

Amid talks of cross-voting, three of the 37 Congress MLAs in Maharashtra skipped a meeting called by the party ahead of the legislative council polls on Friday. Zeeshan Siddique, Jitesh Antapurkar and Sanjay Jagtap were absent in the meeting held here on Thursday night. Antapurkar is close to former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who switched to BJP a few months ago, while Zeeshan's father Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sanjay Jagtap skipped the meeting as he was in wari' (annual pilgrimage procession) and on his to the temple town of Pandharpur. The party said Jagtap had informed the leadership about his absence. However, Sulabha Khodke, whose husband is a close aide of Ajit Pawar, and Hiraman Khoskar, said to be in touch with the NCP, attended the meeting. Senior Congress leader Nitin Raut told PTI that his party is in a comfortable position. It is the ruling alliance which is scared which is why they have held their MLAs hostage, ...

INLD-BSP to jointly contest Haryana polls with Abhay Chautala as CM face

The Indian National Lok Dal has decided to again join hands with its former ally Bahujan Samaj Party for the Haryana Assembly polls scheduled later this year, the leaders of the two parties announced on Thursday. Under the arrangement, out of 90 assembly seats in Haryana, the BSP will contest 37 seats leaving the rest for its senior partner in Haryana, where the ruling BJP is eyeing to come to power for third time in a row. Addressing a joint press conference with the BSP at Nayagaon on the outskirts of Chandigarh, INLD leader Abhay Chautala said this alliance is not based on any selfish interests, but has been formed keeping in mind people's feelings. The BSP and INLD's thinking is how the poor will get justice and how weaker sections will get empowered, he said. "In Haryana, we have decided to jointly fight the upcoming assembly elections. Today, the feeling of common people is to oust the BJP from power and keep the Congress party at bay, which looted the state for 10 years ...

Jairam Ramesh seeks breach of privilege proceedings against PM Modi

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has sought breach of privilege proceedings against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha for allegedly making "derogatory" remarks against former chairman of the Upper House Hamid Ansari. In his letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Ramesh also alleged that no prime minister has ever attacked a former speaker of Lok Sabha or chairman of Rajya Sabha in the manner in which Modi has done. "I wish to bring to your notice a serious incident of breach of privilege and contempt of the House on the part of the Prime Minister of India. On July 2, 2024, prime minister while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Lok Sabha inter alia stated: 'No matter how many numbers they claim, when we came in 2014, our strength in the Rajya Sabha was very low, and the Chair's inclination was somewhat on the other side'," the Congress leader said. Notwithstanding the fact that the prime minister did not specifically too

Modi govt's only mission is to make sure youth are jobless, alleges Kharge

The Modi government has only one mission and that is to "keep the youth jobless", Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Tuesday in a scathing attack against the Centre on the issue of unemployment. The Modi government may be refuting independent economic reports like the one by Citigroup on unemployment but how will it deny government data, Kharge asked in a lengthy post on X citing various reports. "The truth is that Modi government is solely responsible for shattering the dreams of crores of youth in the last 10 years," he alleged. Kharge said the latest government data punctures the government's claims. According to NSSO's (National Sample Survey Office) Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, in the manufacturing sector, 54 lakh jobs were lost in unincorporated units in the seven years between 2015 and 2023, he said. "In 2010-11, 10.8 crore employees were employed in unincorporated, non-agricultural enterprises across India, which has become 10.96 crore

Criminal law in concurrent list, states can make amendments: Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday welcomed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to appoint a committee to suggest state-specific amendments to the three new criminal laws and asserted that criminal law is a concurrent list subject which makes the state legislature competent to make amendments. He also stressed that criminal laws that are in consonance with modern principles of criminal jurisprudence must be enacted. "I welcome the decision of the government of Tamil Nadu to appoint a Committee to suggest state amendments to the three criminal laws that came into force on 1 July 2024," the former home minister said in a post on X. Criminal Law is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and the state legislature is competent to make amendments, Chidambaram said. "I also welcome the appointment of Justice (retd) Mr K.Sathyanarayanan as the one-person Committee. I request the Committee to hold consultations with all stakeholders including judges, lawyers, police, la

Rahul urges PM Modi to visit violence-hit Manipur, offers support for peace

PM Modi, during his address in the Rajya Sabha last week, reaffirmed that the central government is making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur

Victories, setbacks part of journey in democracy: Rahul to Rishi Sunak

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday extended commiserations to the UK's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak on the party's recent electoral defeat, saying victories and setbacks are inevitable part of democracy and "we must take both in our stride". In his letter to Sunak, Gandhi hailed the former British prime minister's dedication to public service and commitment to the British people. "I would like to extend my commiserations on the recent electoral outcome. Victories and setbacks are both an inevitable part of the journey in a democracy and we must take both in our stride," the Congress leader said. "Your dedication to public service and commitment to your people are commendable. I also deeply value the efforts you made to strengthen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office," he said. Gandhi expressed confidence that Sunak would continue to contribute to public life with his experience. "I wish you all the best for your future ..

Rahul Gandhi asks Centre, state to support those affected by Assam floods

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday expressed concern over the flood situation in Assam and urged the Central and state governments to expeditiously extend all possible support to those affected. The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Saturday with six more people losing their lives and nearly 24 lakh people affected, according to an official bulletin. In a post on X, Gandhi said, "The flood situation in Assam is becoming increasingly dangerous. My thoughts are with our brothers and sisters reeling under the deluge." "Deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I appeal to Congress leaders and workers to provide help in rescue and rehabilitation operations," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. "I urge the Central and state governments to compassionately and expeditiously extend all possible support to those affected," he said. The devastating floods claimed the lives of two persons in Charaideo and one each in Goalpara, Morigaon, Sonitpur and Tinsukia

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Rahul Gandhi to visit Manipur on Monday, meet violence-affected people

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit Manipur on Monday and meet the violence-affected people in different districts of the state. State Congress president K Meghachandra said Gandhi would travel from Delhi to Silchar on a flight, and from there would head to Jiribam district where fresh violence happened on June 6. "Gandhi will visit some relief camps in the district. He will then return to the Silchar airport, and from there, take a flight to Imphal," Meghachandra said. "After landing in Imphal, he will head to Churachandpur district where he will interact with people living in relief camps," he said. From Churachandpur, Gandhi will get to Moirang in Bishnupur district by road and visit some relief camps. He will then return to Imphal where a meeting with Governor Anusuiya Uikey is being planned. "He will then leave the state," Meghachandra said. This is Gandhi's first visit to the state after the Lok Sabha elections, in which the Congress won both the ...

Andhra, Telangana CMs to meet to discuss pending inter-state issues

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy will meet here on Saturday to resolve pending issues related to bifurcation of undivided Andhra. The meeting will take place at the government's Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan here this evening. Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, following the division of undivided Andhra Pradesh. Ten years after separation, several issues such as bifurcation of assets, state-run institutions, power bills dues, transfer of leftover employees to their native states are still unresolved between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Hyderabad ceased to be the common capital for both the states from June 2 this year as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The metropolis is now the capital city of Telangana only. According to official sources, the division of various state-run institutions and corporations of the undivided state, listed in Schedule 9 and Schedule 10 of the Andhra Prades

Rahul on Guj visit; to address party workers, meet Rajkot fire victims' kin

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be on a visit to Ahmedabad city in Gujarat on Saturday, where he will address party workers, a leader said. Gandhi will also meet the family members of those who lost their lives in various tragedies in Gujarat in the recent past, including the Rajkot game zone fire, the boat capsize incident in Vadodara and Morbi bridge collapse. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is visiting Gujarat days after BJP and Congress workers clashed outside the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) office here over alleged anti-Hindu remarks made by Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. Following the clash, complaints were lodged against each other by both sides and FIRs were registered, leading to the arrest of five Congress workers. Talking to reporters on Friday, Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil said Gandhi will also meet the family members of those five Congress workers who are currently in police custody. "Rahul Gandhi will arrive at the GPCC office

Hathras stampede: Main suspect Madhukar surrenders, says Advocate AP Singh

Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Friday said the Central government has extended cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh government in the investigation into the stampede in Hathras

Crony capitalism thriving under Modi: Congress on Jio, Airtel tariff hikes

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala questioned the Centre's intent, asking how the companies were unilaterally allowed to increase the rates without any oversight and regulation