Page 2 - Mallikarjun Kharge

Former SC judge B Sudershan Reddy picked as INDIA bloc VP candidate

B Sudershan Reddy to contest as INDIA alliance VP candidate, facing NDA's CP Radhakrishnan; elections are set for September 9 after Dhankhar's resignation

Meet Sudershan Reddy, former SC judge now Opposition's vice president pick

Opposition alliance names former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as its vice-presidential candidate against NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan. Election is scheduled for September 9

Rahul Gandhi, Kharge extend greetings to nation on 79th Independence Day

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi highlighted that independence is a resolve to build a nation rooted in truth, equality, and brotherhood

Cong highlights 'vote chori' with video, Kharge asks people to raise voice

The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its campaign against alleged 'vote chori' by releasing a new video depicting how fake votes were being cast and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge asking people to raise their voice and save constitutional institutions from the "clutches of the BJP". Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also shared the minute-long video and said, "Aapke vote ki chori aapke adhikar ki chori, aapki pehchaan ki chori hai." Tagging the advertisement titled 'booth par vote chori", Congress president Kharge said, "Do not let your rights to vote be snatched away. Ask questions, demand answers this time! Raise your voice against vote chori." "Free constitutional institutions from the clutches of the BJP," he said in his message to the people on X. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the video on X, and said, "the theft of your vote is theft of your rights, theft of your identity." "Save your right to vote, Raise your voice against vote theft," sh

Fight against SIR is to protect people's right to vote: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said the protest against 'vote chori' and SIR is a fight to protect people's right to vote and a struggle to save democracy, and asserted the INDIA alliance will expose BJP's "conspiracy". His remarks came as top opposition leaders were stopped from taking out a march to the Election Commission office to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. In a post on X, he said, "BJP's cowardly dictatorship will not work!". "This is a fight to protect the people's right to vote. This is a struggle to save democracy," he said. "The allies of the INDIA coalition will surely expose this BJP conspiracy to shred the Constitution," Kharge said in his post in Hindi. Kharge was among those who participated in the Opposition MPs protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission office. The protesting MPs were prevented by the police from moving forward and were detained and taken away in buses. Kharge and Rahul G

Sanjay Raut writes to Amit Shah, seeks info on ex-VP Dhankhar's whereabouts

Raut said in his letter that rumours are circulating in Delhi that Dhankhar has been confined to his residence and is reportedly not safe

'Lost 2019 elections due to bogus votes': Kharge attacks PM Modi, BJP

Addressing the Congress' 'Vote Adhikar Rally' in Bengaluru's Freedom Park, Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the party had lost the 2019 General Elections due to 'fake votes'

Congress postpones protest against alleged electoral fraud to August 8

The Congress on Monday announced deferring its August 5 protest over alleged electoral fraud August 8 in light of the death of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. Top party leader Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to lead the agitation here on Tuesday. Addressing reporters here, Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said Soren will be cremated on Tuesday and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will attend the last rites. "The programme (protest) will now remain as it is, but will remain deferred to August 8," Surjewala, flanked by Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, said. The Congress party had initially announced the protest in Bengaluru for Tuesday against what it calls large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura constituency in the 2023 Assembly polls.

Op Sindoor debate: Nadda apologises to Kharge over 'mental balance' remark

The Rajya Sabha witnessed heated exchanges between the Opposition and treasury benches after Leader of the House J P Nadda made some objectionable remarks against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge that he later withdrew and apologised. Rising soon after Kharge spoke over one hour during the discussion on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Nadda first accused him of "losing his mental balance" as he made some remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda demanded that Kharge's remarks on the Prime Minister be expunged from the records as they were made in a "flow of emotions". However, Kharge as well as Opposition benches made strong objections to Nadda's "mental balance" remark and demanded an apology. Kharge also said that Nadda is one of the ministers in the NDA government whom he respected, but said it was a matter of shame that he made such remarks against him and demanded his apology. Nadda soon got up to say that he has already withdrawn his wo

Sonia, Kharge, Rahul, Akhilesh join Oppn leaders in protest against SIR

Several MPs of the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, protested in the Parliament House complex on Monday against the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar, and demanded its rollback. Ahead of the day's proceedings in Parliament, top opposition MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, TMC's Derek O'Brien and Sagarika Ghose, DMK's Kanimozhi and A Raja, besides others, raised slogans and protested against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. There was a huge banner in front of them which read 'SIR- Attack on Democracy' as they lined up on and near the steps of the Makar Dwar of Parliament and staged a protest for the fifth consecutive day. With 'Stop SIR' placards in hand, several MPs of the opposition, including those of the .

Don't know the actual reason behind Dhankhar's resignation: Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says he has no information about Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation and urges the former Vice-President to explain the reason

Need 2nd gen economic reforms but inertia set in past 11 yrs: Cong on govt

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday referred to the 1991 landmark liberalisation budget to say India urgently needed an impactful second-generation economic reforms, but an "inherent inertia" has set in the Narendra Modi government in the past 11 years. He alleged that due to the "disastrous economic policies" of the Modi dispensation, "which lacks both vision and action", the economy is reeling at a sub-par growth rate. "Inequality has widened, wage growth has miserably stagnated, household savings are getting depleted, youth do not have jobs, the middle class and poor are being robbed to help cronies, and we are facing a trade war, which would hurt both our agriculture and manufacturing sectors," Kharge alleged. "Thanks to the disastrous economic policies of the Modi government, which lacks both vision and action," he said. On the 34th anniversary of the presentation of the budget by then finance minister Manmohan Singh that ushered in economic liberalisation, Kharge sa

Oppn MPs protest against Bihar SIR; vow to press for PM's presence in House

Opposition MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Tuesday staged a protest in Parliament House complex against the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar. The opposition MPs gathered on the steps of Makar Dwar of Parliament and raised slogans against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging that it amounts to stealing elections. They also held placards like 'SIR: Stealing Indian Rights' and 'SIR: Subverting Indian Republic'. MPs of several parties, including the Congress, SP, RJD, TMC, DMK, JMM, among others participated in the protest. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took part in the protest. Earlier, a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders was held in the presence of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. During the meeting, the opposition decided to press for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the Hou

Trump's claims on ceasefire 'humiliating' for country, says Kharge in RS

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday termed US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he mediated between India and Pakistan to bring about a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor in May as "humiliating" for the country, and asked the government for a clarification on the issue. Kharge, and other Congress party members also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give answers to the issues raised by them regarding the Pahalgam terror attack and Trump's claims on ceasefire during Operation Sindoor. The House witnessed a brief adjournment due to opposition uproar during the Zero Hour, and also a walkout by Congress when the Rajya Sabha reassembled for the Question Hour at 12 noon. Kharge, along with several opposition members in the Rajya Sabha, had submitted adjournment notices (under Rule 267) to take up discussion on the terror attack in Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor after suspending the listed business of the day. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour

Monsoon Session: Cong chief Kharge questions Centre over Operation Sindoor

Addressing the Upper House of the Parliament on Monday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the Centre over the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.Congress MP Kharge said, "I have given notice under Rule 267 on Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Till today, the terrorists have not been caught or neutralised. All parties extended unconditional support to the government. The government should inform us about what has happened."He further raised the US President Donald Trump's claim of intervening between India and Pakistan during the Operation Sindoor."The LG of J & K had made a statement that there was an intelligence failure...US President Trump has claimed 24 times that the ceasefire happened only due to his intervention," he saidEarlier today, several Opposition leaders invoked the Rule 267 (Notice of Motion for Suspension of Rules) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to demand a discussion on the

ED targeting Vadra to malign Gandhi family, Congress: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday termed the ED charge sheet against Robert Vadra as an attempt to bring bad name to him and the Gandhi family, and to target the Congress party. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur. "What has been done to Vadra, is to take revenge on a person, to target a party, they are doing all this. It is done as part of an attempt to bring a bad name to the Vadra and Gandhi family. They will never be successful in it. There are courts," Kharge told reporters here. "The trouble that is being given to Vadra is not right. We all support his good work." Responding to a question on BJP accusing Congress of supporting "land jihad", the Congress chief said, "I don't know what land jihad is. If they want to take any action against me, welcome, l

Kharge slams Assam govt, promises relief for evicted families if Cong wins

The Congress president also warned that the BJP could use voter list revisions and delimitation to undermine the Congress ahead of next year's Assembly elections

Rahul, Kharge, write to PM Modi, urge legislation for statehood to J&K

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge also urged the Centre to put forth a legislation that will bring the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

Kharge, Rahul on day-long visit to Assam, to interact with Congress workers

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Assam on Wednesday, during which they will interact with party functionaries in the state. This will be the first visit of the party's top leaders since Gaurav Gogoi took over as the state president, ahead of next year's assembly election. Kharge and Gandhi are scheduled to attend two meetings, including one at Chaygaon -- about 40 km from Guwahati, during the day-long trip. Gogoi said on Tuesday that the district, block and mandal presidents of the party will be able to present their views before the leadership during the meetings. "The visit reaffirms the Congress party's shared commitment to justice, harmony, and inclusive progress for all," he said in a post on X.

With ambition rising, Congress struggles to hold young leaders close

Once a formidable force in Maharashtra, the Congress is facing a silent but steady erosion of its traditional support base as the new generation of several loyalist families - once the party's backbone - are either aligning with rivals or retreating from active politics. This shift is weakening the Congress' organisational depth and compounding its troubles ahead of the crucial local body polls this year, party sources said. Last year, the party faced its worst rout in assembly polls, winning only 16 seats in the 288-member House. It contested 101 seats in alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). In recent months, leaders from families with long-standing Congress ties have made moves that reflect the party's diminishing appeal among its once-committed base. Senior Congressman Anant Gadgil, who belongs to perhaps one of the last loyalist families that have remained committed to the party, expressed concern over the spree of desertions by second generation of families associat