Page 60 - Indian National Congress

Sonia Gandhi to submit nomination for RS polls from Rajasthan today

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi will file on Wednesday her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan, party sources said. It will be the 77-year-old leader's first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP. Congress sources said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are likely to accompany her to Jaipur for filing her papers. Gandhi, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general elections. She has been a five-term Lok Sabha MP and was first elected in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president. "She is likely to file nomination for Rajya Sabha on Wednesday," a source said. A total of 56 members of Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on February 27. The last date for filing nominations is February 15. The Congress is comfortably placed to win one of the three Rajya Sabha sea

PM Modi announces 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' to boost solar power

In a bid to boost solar power and sustainable progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that his government is launching the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' which aims to light up one crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month. Modi said the project would entail an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore. "In order to further sustainable development and people's wellbeing, we are launching the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This project, with an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month," the prime minister said on X. From substantive subsidies, which will be given directly to people's bank accounts, to heavily concessional bank loans, the central government will ensure that there is no cost burden on the people, he said. All stakeholders will be integrated to a National Online Portal, the prime minister added. Modi said that in order to

Congress will give legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer: Rahul Gandhi

Farmer protests in Delhi: Rahul Gandhi said that the MSP will be given according to the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission

Farmer protest: Need time to find solution, says Union Minister Arjun Munda

Union Minister Arjun Munda, in response to the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, emphasized the necessity of time and deliberation to address the concerns raised by the farming community

Few benefitting from 'system', others paying GST, dying of hunger: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Centre, claiming that only some people were benefitting from the "system" in the country while all the others were paying taxes and dying of hunger. If the people raise voice against anything, they have to face action by the ED, CBI and the I-T department, Gandhi said addressing a gathering at Ramgarh chowk in Udaipur area of Chhattisgarh's Surguja district as part of his 'Bharata Jodo Nyay Yatra'. He claimed that violence was happening and hatred was being spread because injustice was being meted out to the people in the country round-the clock. Perhaps, it has been happening so much that people are not even able to realise it. It has become like a habit, Gandhi said. "You (people) must ask a question to yourself thrice a day that how much money you are getting from the country's fund each day. How much return you are getting after your day-long struggle and efforts. In 10 days, you will come to know that you are being ..

Congress is equally at fault: Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee

Pandher said that these laws were brought by Congress and the farmers are not in favour of anyone

Ashok Chavan's resignation: Maha Cong in-charge calls key meeting in Mumbai

In the wake of the recent resignation of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has called for a key meeting of party leaders in Mumbai

Ashok Chavan resigns from Congress, to announce future plans in 48 hrs

In a major setback for the Congress party, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has resigned from the party's primary membership ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Cong govt in Guj included PM Modi's caste in OBC list in 1994: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said it is very unfortunate that there is a debate on the caste of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has a habit of telling lies publicly and repeating those thereafter. Shah also said it was a Congress government in Gujarat that included Modi's caste in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in 1994 and the Centre included the prime minister's caste in its OBC list in 2000. "Modi's caste was listed in Gujarat as OBC on July 25, 1994. At that time, the chief minister of Gujarat was Chhabildas Mehta and the party in power was the Congress. Till that time, Modi had not contested a single election. He used to work for the organisation only. The question of his caste did not come at all. "Subsequently, the Gujarat government recommended for the inclusion of his caste in the central OBC list. It was finally included in the central OBC list in 2000. At that time also, Modi was not in a position of power -

Telangana govt presents Rs 2.75 lakh crore vote on account budget for FY25

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday presented the Vote on Account budget for 2024-25 with a total expenditure of Rs 2,75,891 crore. Of the total budget, revenue expenditure is projected at Rs 2,01,178 crore and capital expenditure is Rs 29,669 crore. The government proposed Rs 53,196 crores for implementation of six poll 'guarantees' of ruling Congress. The interim budget, the first to be presented by the Congress government after coming to power in December, 2023, proposes Rs 19,746 crores for agriculture and Rs 28,024 crores for Irrigation. Alleging that the previous BRS government left the state bankrupt, Vikramarka said the burden of unplanned loans is now posing a challenge. "Yet, we will stand by the people with planned developmental goals," he said. The Congress government is planning to cut down wasteful expenditure in day-to-day government operations and also by curbing expenditure on unwarranted infrastructural assets. "Our budget focuse

Karnataka govt approves investment projects worth Rs 6,407.82 crore

The Karnataka State-Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) has granted approval to 128 projects cumulatively worth Rs 6,407.82 crores, with the potential to generate employment for 33,771 people across the state. The proposals were cleared on Friday by the committee headed by Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil here, a statement said. Proposals submitted by Bengaluru-based companies, Gokula Education Foundation (Medical), and Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust, which are to invest Ra 484.33 crores and Rs 415 crores respectively, were among the marquee projects greenlighted by the panel. The minister, who chaired the meeting at the Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM) office here, said the 128 projects would ensure equitable investment across the diverse regions of the state. The clearance committee gave nod to 22 projects, the investment value of which is in excess of Rs 50 crores. The 22 proposals, once realised, will draw a total ...

Cong issues whip to its MPs in LS to ensure their presence in House

The Congress has issued a whip to its MPs in the Lok Sabha to ensure their presence in the House on Saturday. The Lok Sabha will have a discussion on the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Saturday, the last day of the budget session of Parliament. The parliamentary leaders of the constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will meet at Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's office in the morning before the parliamentary proceedings start. The Congress has issued a three-line whip in the Lok Sabha, party sources said. The budget session of Parliament, the last of the 17th Lok Sabha, began on January 31 and will conclude on Saturday. The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held in April-May.

Central govt is nervous, says Congress' Manish Tewari on 'White Paper'

Congress MP Manish Tewari referred to the 'White Paper ' presented on the Indian economy in Parliament by Centre as "nervousness", which he claimed was evident in the Union Finance Minister's response

Congress questions timing of Bharat Ratna award to former PMs, Swaminathan

In a line-up post on X, PM Modi said that, as a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao served India extensively in various capacities

I could have laid white paper on UPA's ten yr rule in 2014: PM Modi

PM Modi said that he avoided bringing it in 2014 fearing that the country would lose its confidence

LIVE: World's faith in India is continuously growing, says PM Modi

LIVE Updates: From the results of Pak general elections to BJP's white paper against Cong-led UPA's ten year rule, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

HM Shah expresses gratitude to PM for conferring Bharat Ratna to ex-PMs

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conferring Bharat Ratna to former PM PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh

We take such decision after rising above politics: Rajnath on Bharat Ratna

Former Prime Minister and veteran Congress leaders PV Narsimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, PM Modi announced on Friday

Welcome Bharat Ratna to ex-PM Narasimha Rao: Cong veteran Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said she "welcomes" the announcement of giving Bharat Ratna to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. Asked about the Bharat Ratna announcements, specifically for Rao, Sonia Gandhi in a short reply said, "I welcome them... why not". Former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh as well as agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

2008 global financial crisis wasn't as serious as Covid-19: FM Sitharaman

A nearly 60-page White Paper was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Sitharaman on Thursday