Page 99 - Indian National Congress

HP polls: Confident of winning 40-45 seats, says Cong chief Pratibha Singh

After casting her vote at Rampur in Shimla in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress MP and state chief Pratibha Singh on Saturday appealed to vote for development and work while exuding confidence of winning 40-45 seats in 68 members Assembly."We'd like to tell people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for development & work. Congress always worked for development & in the time to come only Congress can take that work forward in the state. We're confident of winning 40-45 seats," Pratibha Singh said.Pratibha Singh and party MLA Vikramaditya on Saturday cast their vote at Rampur in Shimla in the assembly polls.Vikramaditya who is a son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, and also a sitting MLA from Shimla Rural was entrusted by the Congress once again and given a ticket against BJP's Ravi Mehta, AAP's Prem Thakur."We would like to request the people to take Himachal forward and cast their votes in public interest, in the interest of Himachal Pradesh - to make it the .

Voting begins in HP as BJP eyes return to power, Cong battles for change

Voters across Himachal Pradesh queued up outside polling booths on Saturday to elect a new state government, a crucial test for the BJP hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival. Voting began at 8 am on a slow note in the hill state but began to pick up as the morning progressed and the winter chill eased a bit. The polling will continue till 5 pm in all 68 assembly constituencies. In an early morning message to voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to enthusiastically participate in the "festival of democracy" and register a voting record. In a tweet, Modi also greeted the young voters who will be exercising their franchise for the first time. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur echoed him and said every vote will help build a prosperous Himachal Pradesh. "First vote, then refreshments. Dear fellow state residents, today is the day of voting. My humble request to all voters of Himachal Pradesh is to participate in th

Social media has enabled voices of outsiders to be heard, says Tharoor

Social media has enabled the voices of the outsider to be heard in a system dominated by elites and made government institutions more accountable, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said here on Friday. Speaking during a debate on 'Social Media Strengthens Democracy' at the Tata Literature Festival, he said social media gives voice to the voiceless and this can be seen in the way popular protests have been organized in many countries in recent times. Mobilisation through social media helped usher in democracy in a country like Tunisia, Tharoor said. He also pointed out how social media was used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, and how it helped movements like Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street and agitations for abortion rights in the US and anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protest in India. Social media has permitted the outsider also to be heard in the narrative that has traditionally been dominated by elites, insiders and for the first time the outsider gets to have

BJP, Congress fight it out as Himachal Pradesh all set to vote on Saturday

Rebels could spoil the party for several official candidates

Gujarat polls: 21 sitting Congress MLAs in party's 2nd list of candidates

The Congress, which has been out of power in Gujarat for more than two decades, has fielded 21 of its sitting MLAs in the state for next month's Assembly elections. In its second list of 46 candidates, the grand old party has also named four Muslim candidates. The Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases - on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. Of the total 182 seats of the Gujarat Assembly, voting for the 89 seats will be held on December 1 in the first phase. On November 4, the Congress had announced its first list having names of candidates for 43 seats of both first phase and second phase of polls. But in the second list, all the 46 candidates are for the first phase. The Congress has so far announced candidates for 68 seats of the first phase, while announcement is awaited for 21 seats, including Morbi, Talala, Bhavnagar-Rural, Dhari, Kodinar, Rapar, Bharuch, Rajkot East, Rajkot West, Jambusar, Navsari and Jamnagar Rural. A

BJP lashes at Cong over Tytler's inclusion in municipal poll committee

Slamming Congress for its move, Manjinder Sirsa alleged that Tytler's hands are 'stained with the blood of Sikhs' and the party gave him the status of its election committee

Congress releases second list of 46 candidates for Gujarat assembly polls

The party had announced its first list on November 4, in which 43 candidates were announced

Former Congress leader from Himachal joins BJP ahead of assembly election

Harpreet Singh Ratan joined BJP at the residence of the party's national president JP Nadda on Thursday

Old pension scheme emerges as key issue in Himachal Pradesh polls

As Satpal, 78, attends to customers, an animated discussion is on outside his grocery shop in Kasumpti Bazar. They are debating the old pension scheme, which has emerged as a key election issue. The Congress has promised to restore the old pension scheme (OPS), if voted to power in Himachal Pradesh after the November 12 assembly polls in the state. The OPS will benefit retired employees in a big way, feel most of the people in the group discussing the issue outside Satpal's shop named 'Himlaxmi'. But one person seems to differ, asking how the government will generate resources for it. There are about 2.5 lakh government employees in the state, and out of them 1.5 lakh are covered under the New Pension Scheme. There have been protests earlier by employees' associations against the new scheme in Shimla, Mandi, Kangra and Solan. The old pension scheme, under which the entire pension amount was given by the government, was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004. According to t

Bharat Jodo Yatra continues in Maha, Rahul to address rally in Nanded

The Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra continued on the fourth day of its Maharashtra leg on Thursday in Nanded district where Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in the evening. Gandhi resumed the foot march at 6 am from Kapshi Chowk in Loha area of Nanded where a large number of people gathered to greet him. The former Congress president waved at the crowd, called members of the public near him and spoke to them while walking. The yatra will cover Nanded city, Deglur and Ardhapur areas and proceed to Hingoli on Friday. Gandhi along with the yatris walked a total of 24 km on Wednesday, concluding the day at Vajirgaon Phata and a corner meeting at Krishnoor. He had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of unleashing an "economic tsunami" by carrying out demonetisation in November 2016. Referring to his encounters with locals on Wednesday, Gandhi said a young boy told him about the lack of practical education in the country due to which there are no job opportunities, while a little

Gujarat Congress MLA resigns ahead of polls, third to quit in two days

Congress MLA from Jhalod in Gujarat's Dahod district Bhavesh Katara has resigned as the legislator, ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections. He is the third Congress MLA to resign in the last two days after Mohansinh Rathwa and Bhagwan Barad. Katara went to the residence of Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya on Wednesday night and submitted his resignation to her, an official statement said. His resignation comes at a time when the BJP is finalising candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections. Katara is likely to join the BJP on Thursday. Earlier, Rathwa and Barad also joined the saffron party after resigning from the Congress party and as MLAs. Gujarat elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5, and counting of votes will be held on December 8.

Congress failed to keep up job promise in 2003, says Anurag Thakur

'Congress had promised an umeployment allowance for the jobless ahead of the 2012 state elections but failed to deliver on it as well'

Bharat Jodo Yatra enters 63rd day, Rahul interacts with locals in Maha

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Biloli in Nanded district of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning as the foot march entered its 63rd day. Gandhi halted briefly at some places to interact with locals who had gathered to greet him. All India Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, Mumbai party chief Bhai Jagtap, Naseem Khan, Vishwajit Kadam and other party leaders walked with Gandhi. AICC general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh and party leader Kanhaiya Kumar walked with the Seva Dal workers. Gandhi had on Tuesday visited a gurdwara in Nanded and targeted the Narendra Modi-led Union government over demonetisation, unemployment and the politics of hatred. The foot march was on Tuesday marred by the death of a senior functionary of the Congress Seva Dal. This is the third day of the yatra in Maharashtra. The participants led by Gandhi had enter

Media should be vigilant, flag govt's drawbacks: Former PM Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said media needs to remain vigilant and flag shortcomings of the government with a view to improve the effectiveness of governance. Speaking at the TIOL Heritage Award function here, Singh asserted that India will continue to rise and show to the world the way forward by blending tradition with modernity. He noted that an entirely new generation of Indians have emerged who are aspirational and are exerting pressure on the government to perform better and be transparent. Singh also recalled his tenures as the finance minister and the prime minister in steering the country at difficult times. On the role of the media in a democracy, the former prime minister said it has a very important contribution to make in the process of nation-building. "We expect the media to be vigilant, to point out the shortcomings of the government and thus help in improving the effectiveness of governance," he said in his virtual address at the function. H

Demonetisation deliberate move by 'PayPM' to aid billionaire friends: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, saying it was a deliberate move by "PayPM" to ensure that two-three of his billionaire friends could monopolize India's economy. Speaking during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra later in the day, he also dubbed the November 2016 decision as an "attack" on farmers and small and medium businesses. The Congress has often used 'PayCM' and 'PayPM' jibe at the BJP to allege corruption under its rule at the Centre and in states. It is a play on the digital payment platform PayTM. Gandhi's attack came on the sixth anniversary of demonetisation. It was on this day in 2016 that Prime Minister Modi announced the decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes with the stated aim of reducing corruption and black money. "Demonetisation was a deliberate move by 'PayPM' to ensure 2-3 of his billionaire friends monopolise India's economy by finishing small & medium businesses," ...

Congress Seva Dal functionary dies during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maha

A Congress Seva Dal functionary died after collapsing on Tuesday during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra's Nanded district on Tuesday, party leaders said. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the foot march, expressed grief over the death of the Seva Dal general secretary Krishna Kumar Pandey. He said Pandey held the national flag till the very last moment. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Pandey was holding the tricolour and walking with him and party veteran Digvijaya Singh. "After a few minutes, as is the practice, he handed the flag to a colleague and moved back. Thereafter he collapsed and was taken in an ambulance to a hospital where most sadly he was declared dead," Ramesh tweeted. "He was a staunch Congressman and used to take on the RSS in Nagpur. It is a most humbling moment for all the Yatris," Ramesh added. "The Yatris, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and @RahulGandhi paid last respects to Krishna Kumar Pandey this afternoon

Karnataka CM Bommai questions Rahul's silence on 'Hindu' comments

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has questioned the silence of Rahul Gandhi over comments by Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi on Hindu religion and language

Pay attention to your state, says Alka Lamba to UP CM Yogi Adityanath

'First of all, Yogi ji should pay attention to his state Uttar Pradesh where law and order is weak. NCR cities like Noida, Ghaziabad and Lucknow are hot spots of the crime world'

Centre's policies broke backbone of small businesses, farmers: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi's remarks came while addressing a gathering in Maharashtra after the Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its Maharashtra leg on Monday evening on its 61st day of the march

Congress leaders prepare for Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan next month

Chairman of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra for Rajasthan Vibhakar Shastri arrived here on Monday evening to review preparations for party leader Rahul Gandhi's arrival to undertake the march in the state. Shastri met with PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra in the city. A detailed discussion with Congress leaders regarding the preparations will be held on Tuesday, party sources said. The yatra is supposed to reach Rajasthan next month.