Page 130 - Lok Sabha

Uttarakhand Cong leaders meet Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, 2024 LS polls on agenda

Top Congress leaders from Uttarakhand on Thursday met party resident Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief Rahul Gandhi here to review the party's preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. A similar meeting was held with members of the Maharashtra Congress unit earlier. The Uttarakhand Congress leaders, who participated in the meeting, included former chief minister Harish Rawat, PCC president Karan Mahara and AICC in-charge for the state Devender Yadav. AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and all AICC secretaries for the hill state were also present at the meeting. In a message to the state unit, Kharge said the Congress is committed to environment-friendly development of Himalayan states. He said the party has pledged to work for flood victims, adding that that the Congress will keep raising the voice of the people of the state.

BJP's minority wing meeting in Delhi today, to review preparations

According to BJP leaders, a meeting in this regard is being organized by the BJP Minority Morcha at the party's headquarters here in the national capital on Thursday

Karnataka CM, leaders protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar along with a host of ministers, legislators and Congress top leaders in the state on Wednesday staged a "silent protest" here against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament and the "politics of vendetta" unleashed by the Centre. This comes days after the party stated it would move the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his "Modi surname remarks. The protestors tied a black ribbon on their mouth to symbolically convey that the freedom of speech was in danger and anyone speaking against the Central government would face backlash. Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and others held placards at the Freedom Park here with the photograph of Rahul Gandhi and a message that the "roar of the truth must prevail". Alleging that the BJP deployed "dirty tricks" to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from Parliament, the All India Congress Committe

Nadda to chair BJP meeting today on Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Delhi

BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda will chair a strategy meeting of party leaders here on Wednesday on the assembly polls later this year and the Lok Sabha elections next year. Party sources said it will be a meeting of leaders associated with the BJP's 'Lok Sabha Pravas' programme, an exercise aimed at boosting its prospects in nearly 160 Lok Sabha seats, most of which it had lost in 2019. Besides the party's office-bearers, several Union ministers have also been drafted in the exercise. The deliberations will also focus on the preparations underway for the Lok Sabha polls as well as the assembly elections, a BJP leader said. Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana are due later this year. That these are going to be the last round of state elections before the all-important Lok Sabha polls next year has added extra significance to them, with the BJP pulling out all the stops to put up an impressive show after its recent loss to the Congress

Eye on 2024 polls, Congress to hold foot march, bus rallies in Maharashtra

Senior leaders of the Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday met the party's national leadership here in New Delhi and discussed strategies to strengthen the party's roots in the state

Retired at 75? How BJP picks its Lok Sabha candidates may depend on age

Party is assessing performance of its 301 Lok Sabha MPs, conducting surveys in their constituencies

Uddhav Thackeray starts Vidarbha tour to inspire workers for LS, Maha polls

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray started a two-day tour of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region on Sunday to interact with his party workers and boost their morale ahead of the Lok Sabha and state Assembly polls due next year, a party leader said. Thackeray's tour comes a week after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. The former Maharashtra chief minister reached Nagpur in the morning and he will hold discussions with the party cadre and supporters from Yavatmal, Washim, Amaravati, Akola and Nagpur in the Vidarbha region. After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Thackeray snapped ties with long-term ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. He then formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress. A revolt led by Shinde resulted in the collapse of the MVA government in June 2022 and a split i

Assembly polls: BJP picks in-charges for Raj, Chhattisgarh, MP, Telangana

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed union ministers and senior party leaders as in-charges for the upcoming state elections this year

BJP-led NDA will win more than 400 seats in next LS polls: Assam dy speaker

Reacting to the political developments in Maharashtra after Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state with 8 fellow rebel MLAs

HC says 2019 LS election of expelled AIADMK member Ravindhranath invalid

The Madras High Court on Thursday declared invalid the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member O P Ravindhranath from Tamil Nadu's Theni constituency. Ravindhranath is the son of deposed AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Justice SS Sundar also declared the seat vacant. However, on a request made by the counsel for Ravindhranath, the judge suspended the operation of the order for a month to enable him to file an appeal before the Supreme Court. The ruling came on a petition filed by a voter from Theni constituency named P Milani. According to advocate V Arun, counsel for Milani, the petitioner contended that Ravindhranath while filing his nomination for the election had suppressed various materials including the particulars of his movable and immovable assets and liabilities, and those of his family members. The suppression of facts had materially affected the election, the lawyer said. Hence Milani filed the present election petition. Arun also said on beha

BJP leaders from eastern states to meet ahead of 2024 LS elections

The eastern region includes the states of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Assam, apart from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha

Next Opposition meet to be held on July 17-18 in Bengaluru, says Congress

In the first Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23, over 32 leaders of Opposition parties resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Demand discussion on Manipur in Parliament: Cong MP writes to colleagues

Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi has written to fellow legislators cutting across party lines in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, urging them to demand a discussion in Parliament on the ensuing crisis in Manipur and pursue legislative interventions seeking accountability from the Centre and the state government. Bordoloi, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Assam's Nowgong, said with the Monsoon Session of Parliament scheduled to begin on July 20, he has written to all his colleagues in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha across state and party lines, urging them to lend their voice to the demand for a discussion on the crisis in Manipur. "I am writing to you in the wake of devastating and escalating ethnic violence ensuing in the state of Manipur. Violence has gripped the Northeastern state since the 3rd of May 2023, and the situation in Manipur has deteriorated significantly over the past three months, with reports of widespread violence, human rights abuses, and loss of innocent lives," ...

Delhi Cong to focus on door-to-door interactions ahead of 2024 LS polls

In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, Delhi Congress will focus on door-to-door interactions with the masses and re-energise its grass-roots level workers in the national capital, an official said on Saturday. The decision was taken in a meeting of party workers, leaders and office-bearers called by newly-appointed AICC in-charge of Delhi Congress Deepak Babaria, who also passed two resolutions political and organisational after the meeting. "Congress will spread Rahul Gandhi's message of love as his fight against the politics of hatred has resonated across the country. We will focus on door-to-door interaction with people and further energise the grass-roots level workers in the national capital," Babaria said while addressing the party workers. Babaria, a Gujarat Congress leader, formally took charge as in-charge of Delhi Congress at Rajiv Bhawan here on Saturday. Lashing out at the Aam Aadmi Party, Babaria said despite AAP securing a 13 per cent vote share in the Gujara

First give reservation to women in LS, Assemblies: Sharad Pawar on UCC

The Union government should first introduce reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies before talking about the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here on Thursday. Holding a press conference, Pawar also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had become restless after the Opposition parties' meeting in Patna. Next meeting will take place at Bengaluru on July 13-14, he informed. On the UCC debate, he said the NCP will make its stand clear after assessing the suggestions and demands of various communities. But before that, reservation should be given to women in Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, which is a long-pending demand, the senior leader said. On Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's claims about Pawar being privy to the BJP's plans to form government in Maharashtra along with a group of NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar in 2019, the senior Pawar said Fadnavis should focus on women's security in the state ..

BJP at Centre for 6 more months, Lok Sabha polls in Feb-Mar 2024: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the BJP-led government at the Centre will last for six more months as the Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next. Addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri district for the July 8 panchayat polls, Banerjee said the BSF must work impartially as the BJP "may not be in power tomorrow". "The next Lok Sabha polls will be held in FebruaryMarch. The tenure of the BJP government is just around six months. Sensing defeat, it is trying to lobby with various groups and communities," she claimed. The last Lok Sabha election was held in April-May 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath for the second consecutive term on May 30, 2019. Taking a swipe at the BJP for reaching out to the minority community, the TMC boss said those who are accused of lynching minorities and Dalits are now sharing pictures with the minorities. "They are now sharing pictures with Muslim community members to show how much they care about them. T

Cong's 'mohabbat ki dukaan' video as online battle for 2024 hots up

The online battle for the 2024 general elections hotted up on Tuesday with the Congress releasing an animated video, showing the ruling BJP deploying divisive tactics and Rahul Gandhi taking down a 'nafrat ka bazaar' and replacing it with a 'mohabbat ki dukaan'. The Congress' video, which portrays Gandhi as a uniting factor through his cross-country Bharat Jodo Yatra, comes months after the BJP released a short animated video showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi marching ahead in his mission to serve various sections of society and firmly on course to make India a five-trillion dollar economy. In the 1:43 minutes video posted on the Congress' official Twitter handle, an animated character of Prime Minister Modi is seen driving a chariot with democracy, media and bureaucracy enchained on top of the vehicle. The video also shows an animated character of Home Minister Amit Shah trying to drive a wedge between a Hindu and Muslim person with Rahul Gandhi making an entry and uniting the .

BJP at Centre for 6 more months, Lok Sabha polls in Feb-Mar 2024: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led government at the Centre will last for six more months as the Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next year. Addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri district for the panchayat elections, Banerjee said the BSF must work impartially as the BJP "may not be in power tomorrow". "The next Lok Sabha polls will be held in FebruaryMarch next year. The tenure of the BJP government is just six months. Sensing defeat, the BJP is not trying to lobby various groups and communities," she claimed. The last Lok Sabha elections were held in April-May 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath for the second consecutive term on May 30, 2019. From the rally, Banerjee also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs and jobs for the kin of those killed allegedly in firing by the BSF at the border areas. "I am not accusing all BSF officials, they guard our borders. But BSF must act impartially as BJP may not be in po

No discussion held on 'PM post' during Oppn meeting in Patna: Sharad Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said no discussion took place on the "prime ministerial post" in the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna last week ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year. There were discussions on issues like inflation, unemployment and "deliberate attempts" at some places to encourage communal forces, Pawar told reporters in Baramati town here in Maharashtra. He also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for its criticism of the opposition meeting. Why was the BJP worried about the conclave, Pawar said, claiming there was lack of "political maturity". Drawing the battle lines, over 32 leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties held a crucial meeting in Patna hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday and resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At a joint press meeting, the opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their ...

17 opposition parties decide to fight unitedly against BJP in 2024 LS polls

As many as 17 opposition parties on Friday resolved to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly to defeat the BJP and work with flexibility by setting aside their differences. Addressing a joint press conference after an almost four-hour-long meeting, during which leaders of 17 parties expressed their views, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the leaders will meet in the next few days to give final shape to their plan of fighting together. "We had a good meeting and several leaders expressed their views during the meeting. 17 parties have decided to work together and contest the Lok Sabha elections unitedly," he told reporters. Kumar, who hosted the first such meeting, said they were working in the national interest and accused the BJP of acting against the national interest as it was trying to change the country's history. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the next meeting of opposition leaders would be held in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh next month. "We