Page 21 - Mallikarjun Kharge

LS polls: Country fervently demanding change, says Kharge at CWC meet

Asserting that the country is seeking a change, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the 'guarantees' touted by the present government would meet the same fate as the 'India Shining' slogan of 2004. Addressing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's top decision-making body, to discuss and approve the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, he urged all party leaders and workers to take every issue raised in the party manifesto to every village and town and to every household across the country. "The country is fervently demanding a change. The guarantees currently being touted by the present government would have the same fate as that of the 'India Shining' slogan of 2004," he said in his address at the CWC meet. "All of us have a responsibility to ensure that our manifesto gets the widest publicity in different states and our commitments are taken to every household across the country and people at large," he added. Kharge also sai

Congress Working Committee meets to finalise party's LS poll manifesto

Sources said the party's Central Election Committee (CEC), chaired by Kharge, would discuss and finalise its candidates for remaining seats in the evening

Highlights of the day: LS election counting on Jun 4 after 6 wks of voting

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Cong guarantees comprehensive social, economic and caste census: Kharge

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, and a comprehensive social, economic and caste census. He also assured a comprehensive review of the "anti-worker" labour codes passed by the Narendra Modi government, and to make suitable amendments to strengthen the rights of labour. The promises are part of another five guarantees, each for 'Shramik Nyay' and 'Hissedari Nyay' announced by the party on Saturday. "The Congress Party guarantees a comprehensive social, economic and caste census. Through this, the population, socio-economic condition of all castes and communities, their share in national wealth and their representation in institutions related to governance will be surveyed," Kharge said listing out guarantees under 'Hissedari Nyay'. He said this affirmative action policy will bring revolutionary change in the country. "The ...

Congress' five guarantees: From health benefits to employment promises

Under Swasthya Adhikar, Cong promises to deliver the right to health that will provide universal healthcare, including free medicines, treatment, essential diagnostics, among other health benefit

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

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

Congress' CEC finalises about 40 more candidates for LS elections

Top Congress leadership on Monday discussed over 60 seats in five states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Assam and finalised the names of about 40 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Sources said the party has decided to field former chief minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath once again from Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara and Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav from Jalore in Rajasthan. Speculation was rife about both Kamal Nath and his son Nakul switching over to the BJP ahead of the polls. Both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are unlikely to contest, with the former's son entering the poll fray and the latter having responsibility of Chhattisgarh as AICC general secretary, the sources added. The Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC), chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, met at the party headquarters to finalise candidates, days after the party released its first list of 39 candidates for the polls. Among the seats that were discussed at the meeting ..

BJP against social justice, secularism enshrined in constitution: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday attacked the BJP over its MP Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, alleging that the ruling party is against social justice and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, the Congress president said the BJP aims to get a massive mandate only for amending the Constitution. Kharge's attack came after Hegde, at a gathering in Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress". Kharge said, "I have to say sadly that Constitution has not been fully accepted by the BJP." He claimed that on one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi states that the Constitution will not be changed and on the other hand, he makes his people say that they need two-thirds majority to amend it. This statement has been ma

Kharge as PM candidate: A pre-election gambit

Umbrella parties with no fundamental commitment to OBC or Dalit politics are not known to have gained electorally from such opportunistic pivoting

PM Modi accuses Congress of ignoring development of Northeast for decades

Asserting that the Northeast's development is crucial to fulfil the objective of 'Viksit Bharat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of ignoring the region for decades. Addressing a public meeting at Meleng Meteli Pothar here, after unveiling projects worth Rs 17, 500 crore in Assam, he said heritage and development was the "mantra of double-engine government". He also alleged that the Congress government's "insensitive and unplanned conservation strategy" led to poaching in the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around 27 rhinos were killed in 2013 but the number of such poaching incidents came down to zero in 2022 due to the NDA government's policies, he said.

Cong played key role in developing country's infrastructure: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that although his party was instrumental in developing the country's infrastructure, the ruling BJP was trying to take credit for it. He also said the Congress can be strong at the national level only if it is strengthened in Mumbai, and added that the city unit has an enormous task of rebuilding the organisation. He was speaking after inaugurating via video link a day-long convention of Mumbai Congress workers. "It is the responsibility of each and every party worker in Mumbai to strengthen the Congress. Mumbai and Congress have an old relationship as the party was founded here on December 28, 1885. Several decisions like the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) were conceived in the state by the Congress before being adopted at the national level in the form of legislation," he said. "If you forget history, then you can't do anything in future. It is the responsibility of the Congress to tell the new generation about what it did

Cong releases first list of 39 candidates, Rahul to contest from Wayanad

Venugopal said the list has 15 general category candidates while 24 are from the SC, ST, OBC and minority communities

LS polls: After 'Yuva Nyay', Congress' 'Nari Nyay' push on Women's Day

Lok Sabha elections: The Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed the party's resolve to ensure "justice" for women, if the party is voted to power in the upcoming general elections

Lok Sabha polls: Congress unveils 5 guarantees to woo youth in poll promise

A Congress government will guarantee a "bharti bharosa" to the youth, where the Centre will take steps to fill three million vacant government jobs

Cong's poll body meets to finalise 1st list of candidates for LS elections

The top leadership of the Congress is attending a meeting in the national capital on Thursday to finalise the party's candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, as well as other senior leaders who are part of the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) were present at the meeting. Finalising candidates for Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim and Manipur, among others, is expected to be discussed during the meeting. The Congress has not declared any candidate so far. Last week, the BJP came out with its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress sources said the party is likely to declare its first list of candidates soon to enable the candidates to start their poll campaign. Speculation is rife over Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's from Rae

LS polls: Kharge's son-in-law emerges as front-runner for Gulbarga seat

M Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani has emerged as the front-runner for Congress ticket to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the home turf of the party's President. The 81-year-old Kharge had won from Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) Lok Sabha segment twice but lost the 2019 polls. "The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha's hands are full. In addition to managing party affairs at the national level, he has to coordinate with INDIA bloc partners", a senior party leader said. "Also, he has four more years of his term left in Rajya Sabha", he said, seeking to confirm reports that Kharge is not in favour of contesting from Kalaburagi. His son, Priyank Kharge, who represents Chittapur assembly constituency in Gulbarga segment and is a Minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet in Karnataka, is also not interested to throw his hat in the ring. "Doddamani, a businessman who also manages educational institutions, seems to be the front runner", a party leader said.. Party .

Rahul likely to announce 10-point poll promise for youth in MP rally today

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who heads the manifesto committee, said the draft report will be presented to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge

Modi govt treating farmers like 'enemies', says Congress chief Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the Narendra Modi government was "anti-farmer" and treating farmers as "enemies" for demanding their rights. His remarks come a day after farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal gave a call to farmers across the nation to reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest. They also gave a four-hour countrywide 'rail roko' call for March 10 in support of their various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver. They have asserted that the farmers' ongoing agitation will be intensified at the existing protest points and will continue till their demands are met by the government. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge alleged that in order to benefit its "select crony capitalist friends", the Modi government has consistently sacrificed the interests of farmers. "When the farmer who provides food to the country wants to produce a bumper crop and export it, then the Mo