Page 55 - Indian National Congress

BJP's RS MP Ajay Pratap Singh quits party, expresses dissatisfaction

Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, Ajay Pratap Singh, on Saturday said he has resigned from the party's primary membership, saying he was not happy with the ruling outfit's process of selecting candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Singh shared his resignation letter in a post on his official X account on Saturday morning. "I am resigning from the primary membership of the party," he stated in the one-line letter addressed to BJP chief J P Nadda. He didn't mention any reason behind his resignation in the letter. Singh was nominated to the Upper House of Parliament by the BJP in March 2018. His tenure as Rajya Sabha member will end on April 2. He was not re-nominated by the party. Talking to reporters, Singh expressed displeasure over the party's process of selecting candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said although he wanted to contest from the Sidhi Lok Sabha seat, the BJP fielded Rajesh Mishra from there.

Former Congress MP from Alwar Karan Singh Yadav quits party, joins BJP

Former Congress MP from Alwar, Karan Singh Yadav, joined the BJP in Jaipur on Saturday. Along with him, several other Congress leaders also joined the saffron party. Yadav resigned from the Congress' primary membership on Friday after holding senior party leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh responsible for denial of ticket to him for contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Alwar. Yadav joined the BJP at the party's state headquarters in the presence of party state president CP Joshi and other leaders.

Congress, BRS shattered dreams of Telangana's development: PM Modi

The Congress and the BRS together shattered every dream of Telangana's development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, hitting out at the opposition parties. Addressing a rally in Nagarkurnool, he said 25 crore people were lifted out of poverty in the country. The same change has to be brought in in Telangana by all of us together. "The Congress and the BRS together shattered every dream of Telangana's developmentToday I see here that Telangana people have decided they want to bring back Modi for the third time," he said. Even before the announcement of the poll schedule, people have given their decision on the NDA crossing 400 seats, Modi said. Hitting out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party gave the 'Garibi Hatao' slogan and asked if any change had come in the lives of the poor.

4 national highways, 279 roads closed due to snow, rain in Himachal Pradesh

A total of 279 roads, including four national highways, have been closed for vehicular traffic in Himachal Pradesh due to recent snow and rains even though the state witnessed a dry day on Friday. Manali received traces of snow in the past 24 hours, the MeT said on Saturday, adding a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from the night of March 20. About 96 per cent of the total roads are blocked in the high altitude and tribal areas, and a maximum of 249 roads were closed in Tribal Lahaul and Spiti, 11 in Chamba and nine in Kinnaur on Friday night. Four roads are blocked each in Kullu and Mandi, one each in Kangra and Shimla, as per the state emergency operation centre. As many as 246 transformers are out of order and three water supply schemes are disrupted. There was no significant change in the minimum temperatures and Keylong at minus 7.7 degree Celsius was the coldest at night while Kukumseri recorded a low of minus 4.1 degree Celsius.

Congress demands Supreme Court monitored probe on electoral bonds issue

Stepping up its attack on the government over the electoral bonds issue, the Congress on Saturday alleged that thousands of crores have been "extorted" from corporate India and asserted that the need for a Supreme Court-monitored independent probe is pressing. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the BJP's four "corrupt tactics" -- "Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo (give donations, get business), Hafta Vasuli (extortion), Theka Lo-Rishvat Do (get contracts after paying bribe), Farzi Company - Dakait Sangni (loot through shell companies) -- emerged after a quick first analysis of the data on the "electoral bond scam". These four patterns of corruption that have emerged are of grave concern and the need for a Supreme Court-monitored independent probe is pressing, Ramesh said in a post on X. "In fact, since yesterday, we have seen dozens of examples of these kinds of corruption emerge. Thousands of crores have been extorted and extracted from corporate India, and thousands of crores of

Rahul's Nyay Yatra closing to feature INDIA bloc leaders: Nana Patole

"A huge rally will be organised. Leaders of the INDIA bloc will be present here to welcome Rahul Gandhi," Patole said

PM to launch BJP campaign in K'taka today with rally in Kharge's home turf

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would formally kickstart the BJP's Lok Sabha election campaign in Karnataka on Saturday from Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge's home turf -- Kalaburagi. He is scheduled to address a mega public meeting at the district headquarters town's N V Ground at 2 pm. Kharge, who had represented Kalaburagi (Gulbarga Lok Sabha segment) twice in the past, lost to BJP's Umesh Jadhav by a margin of 95,452 votes in the 2019 general elections here -- the octogenarian leader's first electoral loss in his political life spanning several decades. BJP has once again fielded Jadhav from the segment. Speculations are rife that the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, who has the role of managing the party nationally and coordinating with the opposition INDIA bloc, may not contest the coming polls and, instead, the Congress is likely to field his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani, a businessman, who also manages educational institutions. On March 18, Modi will be i

Senior Punjab Congress leader Raj Kumar Chabbewal quits party, joins AAP

In a setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, senior party leader from Punjab and MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal on Friday quit the party and joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The 54-year-old Chabbewal quit as a legislator from the Chabbewal assembly constituency in the Hoshiarpur district. He was also the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. The prominent Dalit leader joined the AAP here and was welcomed into the party fold by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Chabbewal is the second Congress leader from Punjab to join the AAP within a week. Gurpreet Singh GP, a former Congress MLA from Bassi Pathana, had recently joined the AAP. The AAP, which named its candidates for eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats on Thursday, is likely to field him from the Hoshiarpur reserved parliamentary constituency. Speaking to reporters here in the presence of Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Chabbewal said he is impressed with the pro-people policies

Electoral bonds: Congress' Kharge attacks Modi as BJP gets 50% funding

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of corruption amid the ongoing row over electoral bonds data shared by the SBI

Sibal demands investigation into electoral bonds, calls it 'big scam'

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday described the electoral bonds scheme as a "very big scam" and demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) be set up with court-appointed officials to probe the alleged quid pro quo and wrongdoings under it. Sibal, a senior advocate who is leading the arguments for the petitioners in a case in the Supreme Court against electoral bonds, alleged at a press conference here that the scheme was "illegal" and aimed at enriching a political party in such a manner that no other political party can compete with it. His remarks came a day after the Election Commission (EC) put up the data on electoral bonds on its website. Attacking the BJP-led Centre over the issue, Sibal said, "The person who started this scheme was our former finance minister (Arun Jaitley) and he thought that in this manner, no political party would be able to compete with us (BJP) and he was proven right. The one who has money can play the game." The Rajya Sabha MP said it has to

Electoral bonds data exposes BJP's 'corrupt tactics', says Congress

The Congress on Friday alleged that the electoral bonds data has exposed "corrupt tactics" of the BJP such as quid pro quo, seeking donations for the company's protection, kickbacks and money laundering through shell companies. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said the party continues to demand unique bond ID numbers, so that it can precisely match donors to recipients. In a post on X, Ramesh put out a "quick first analysis" of the Electoral Bonds (EB)data disclosure that the SBI put out after weeks of "attempting to postpone it until after the election". "Over 1,300 companies and individuals have donated electoral bonds, including over 6,000 crore to the BJP since 2019," he said. So far, the electoral bonds data exposes at least four corrupt tactics of the BJP, Ramesh claimed. "Quid Pro Quo: There are many cases of companies that have donated electoral bonds, and immediately afterwards gotten huge benefits from the government: Megha Engineering & Infra has given over

LS polls 2024: Ex-bureaucrats Sukhbir Sandhu, Gyanesh Kumar named new ECs

Former bureaucrats Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have been named as the new election commissioners by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, committee member and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Thursday. Addressing reporters at his residence soon after the meeting ended, Chowdhury said six names came up before the panel for the selection of the two ECs and the names of Sandhu and Kumar were finalised by a majority of members of the high-powered panel. He, however, said the Chief Justice of India should have been part of the selection panel and there was no clarity on how six names were shortlisted from over 200 candidates that are said to have come before the search committee headed by the Law Minister. The six names shortlisted were that of Utpal Kumar Singh, Pradeep Kumar Tripathi, Gyanesh Kumar, Indevar Pandey, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Sudhir Kumar Gangadhar Rahate, all former bureaucrats. "Of the six names, the names of Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir .

Electoral bonds data: Cong flags discrepancy in entries, recipient files

Soon after the Election Commission released electoral bonds data, the Congress on Thursday said there was a discrepancy in the numbers of entries in donor and recipient files -- 18,871 against 20,421. It also asked why the data shared pertained to a period from April 2019 even though the scheme for anonymous political funding was introduced in 2017. Amitabh Dubey, in charge of research and monitoring in the Congress' communication department, said the electoral bond scheme began in 2017, but the data presented began in April 2019. "The donors file has 18,871 entries, the recipients file has 20,421 entries. Why the discrepancy @TheOfficialSBI?" he said on X. Tagging Dubey's post, Congress MP and AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Manickam Tagore said, "Ah, yes, the electoral bond scheme, where transparency meets selective amnesia. Donors file: 18,871 entries. Recipients file: 20,421 entries. Coincidence? I think not." "@TheOfficialSBI, you've truly mastered the art of hiding in plain

Sleight of hand: Chidambaram takes dig at govt over cut in fuel prices

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday took a swipe at the government after petrol and diesel prices were cut by Rs 2 per litre, saying this was the same kind of "sleight of hand" witnessed in increasing the LPG price and then reducing it before elections. Petrol and diesel prices were cut by Rs 2 per litre each as state-owned oil companies ended a nearly two-year-long hiatus in rate revision. The revised price will be applicable from 6 am on Friday, March 15, the oil ministry said on Thursday evening. Reacting to the development, Chidambaram said, "I had said at a media briefing last week that prices of petrol and diesel will be reduced. It was done today. "Will the government say that the prices will not be increased after the elections (if the BJP comes to power again)?" the former finance minister asked. Price of LPG cylinder was increased by Rs 700 by the BJP government and then reduced by Rs 100 on the eve of elections, he said. "The same kind of sleight of hand has been

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Check what Congress is promising to women

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced 5 'Nari Nyay' guarantees before Lok Sabha elections 2024 during a women's rally in Maharashtra's Dhule district as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'

Lok Sabha polls: Actor Karamjeet among 8 candidates in AAP's Punjab list

The Aam Aadmi Party said that it will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab alone, giving a jolt to the Congress. Both are members of the Opposition alliance INDIA but could face each other in Punjab

'One nation, no election': Cong's dig at govt after Kovind panel report

The Congress on Thursday attacked the government after a high-level committee recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies, alleging that they want to completely dismantle the Constitution with the objective of 'one nation, no election'. In its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu that ran into over 18,000 pages, the panel headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days. Asked about the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told PTI in Nashik, "The Prime Minister's objective is very clear, he is going around asking for a clear majority, two-thirds majority, 400 seats, and the cat is out of the bag. They want to completely dismantle Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution and with what objective -- 'one nation, no election' that is what they want." In its report, the panel said simultaneous polls will .

Ahead of LS polls, PM Modi to hold roadshow in Hyderabad on Mar 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Hyderabad on Friday and address BJP rallies in Telangana on March 16 and March 18 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Modi's roadshow would be held for an hour from Mirjaguda to Malkajgiri here Friday evening, Telangana BJP sources said on Thursday. On March 16, he will address a public meeting at Nagarkurnool, they said. Modi would attend a rally at Jagtial in the state on March 18, they added. Modi on March 5 inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth more than Rs 7,200 crore at Sangareddy, about 60 km from Hyderabad. Addressing a BJP rally at Sangareddy, Modi had attacked the Congress, saying it was 'scared' to promote young leaders. In his address, Modi also said the "dynastic parties" were targeting him as he was exposing their "scams worth several thousands of crores of rupees.

If voted to power, INDIA alliance will raise farmers' concerns, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the opposition INDIA alliance, if voted to power, will be the "voice of farmers" and frame policies to protect them. He was addressing a farmers' rally at Chandwad in Maharashtra's Nashik district along with NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, as part of the Congress' ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. "The INDIA alliance government will be the voice of farmers and work to protect their interests," Gandhi said. He promised loan waiver for farmers, restructuring of crop insurance scheme to benefit cultivators, to protect crop prices in formulation of export import policies and to make efforts to exclude agriculture from GST and work on only one tax. The Lok Sabha member from Wayanad also reiterated the Congress' promise of a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) as per the Swaminathan committee report. The former Congress president claimed 20 to 25 people in the country have wealth equivalent to 70 cro

Govt notified CAA rules a month before LS polls to polarise voters: Cong

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)