Page 17 - Sonia Gandhi

Takeaways from Cong plenary meet: No CWC polls, Kharge to nominate members

As curtains came down on the Congress' 85th plenary session on Sunday, there were several takeaways from the three-day conclave of the party -- from opting to authorise the AICC president to nominate CWC members to making its stance clear on alliances for 2024 polls. The main takeaways from the session are as follows: * The Congress Steering Committee unanimously decided not to hold elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and authorised party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate its members. * Kharge said his party is willing to forge a viable alternative by aligning with like-minded parties in order to get rid of the "anti-people" BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and is ready to make any sacrifice required to achieve the goal. * The Congress said it is the only party that can provide capable and decisive leadership to the country, but is ready to make sacrifices to defeat the BJP-led NDA and would go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular .

Was our economy bigger when we fought the British: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched scathing attack on BJP while addressing the party's 85th Plenary Session here

My innings could conclude with Bharat Jodo Yatra, says Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi thanked all leaders, and the people of the country for participation in the yatra as well as for their love and the support

BJP fuelling fire of hatred, targeting minorities, Dalits, women: Sonia

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi launched an all-out attack on the BJP government on Saturday, accusing it of "fuelling the fire of hatred" and "viciously targeting minorities, women, Dalits and tribals". She urged the Congress workers to tackle the current regime with vigour and reach out to people to convey the party's message. Addressing the party's 85th plenary session here, Gandhi accused the government of causing economic ruin by favouring a particular businessman, making a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a controversy involving the business empire of industrialist Gautam Adani. She said in this crucial time, every Congress worker bears a special responsibility towards the party and the country. Gandhi said the Congress is not just a political party but it reflects the voices of people of all religions, castes and genders. She asserted that the party will fulfil the dreams of all of them. "This is a particularly challenging time for the Congress and the

Congress plenary session day 2: Kharge, Sonia Gandhi to deliver addresses

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former AICC chief Sonia Gandhi will address leaders here, as well as political, economic and international affairs resolutions will be deliberated upon at the party's 85th plenary session Saturday. At the start of the second day of the three-day conclave, the Congress president will release a book and party general secretaries will submit their respective reports. After this Kharge will address the gathering. A "thanksgiving" statement for former Congress president Sonia Gandhi will also be read out at the session following which she will deliver her address. The delegates will then deliberate upon the political, economic and international affairs resolutions, according to the programme shared by the party. On the first day of the session, the Congress steering committee unanimously decided not to hold elections to the CWC and authorised the party chief to nominate its members. The decision was taken at the Kharge-led steering committee .

Steering committee authorises Congress chief Kharge to nominate CWC members

The Congress steering committee on Friday unanimously decided to authorise party president Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate all members of the working committee, the party's highest decision making body. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the committee freely discussed the matter of CWC elections and almost all 45 members present unanimously decided to authorise the Congress president to nominate members. Several members expressed their views both in favour and against the polls to CWC, he told reporters. "We are fully confident that all AICC and PCC delegates will support this unanimous decision," he said. Ramesh said the plenary will also decide on bringing 16 amendments to 32 rules and regulations of the party's constitution. "All former prime ministers of the Congress party and former presidents will be given representation in the Working Committee," he said, giving details of amendments to be brought about in the constitution of the party. Earlier,

Cong Plenary Session: Steering Committee meet today, Gandhis might skip it

Ahead of the Congress plenary session in Chhattisgarh, speculations remain on whether there will be elections for the Congress Working Committee as there was to elect the party's president last year

Cong's plenary session to begin today, all eyes on decision on CWC polls

The Congress' 85th plenary session will begin on Friday with a meeting of the party's steering committee during which the crucial decision on holding CWC polls would be taken. The party is expected to take key decisions during the three-day session that would lay out a clear roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and finalize the strategy on forging poll tie-ups with like-minded parties to take on the BJP. The Congress top brass will be in attendance at the plenary session that will primarily endorse the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge and pave the way for the new working committee led by him. The session, which comes in the backdrop of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that has been touted as a success by the party, will be attended by around 15,000 delegates. On the first day of the three-day session, the steering committee, which is playing the role of the Working Committee (the previous one was dissolved until a new CWC is formed), will meet at 10 AM this morning and decide on whethe

Ahead of Cong's plenary session, election for Priyanka, fee hike on charts

The major shift for increasing membership fees and conducting elections is a direct outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi has been keen that leaders must reconnect with workers

Union budget 'exclusionary', minorities 'brutally discriminated': Congress

Dubbing the Union Budget "exclusionary", Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged on Friday that the minorities have been "brutally discriminated" against in the allocations and that many view it as part of a series of Islamophobic policy decisions by the government. Concluding a discussion on the budget in Lok Sabha, Chowdhury also asked the government to answer questions raised in the US-based short seller Hindenburg Research's report on billionaire Gautam Adani's companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. He reiterated the Opposition's demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the matter. Chowdhury alleged that the Union Budget for 2023-24 was nothing but "skewed numbers" and had neglected regions such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. He claimed that the budget had failed to cater to vulnerable sections of society, including women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and ...

Union Budget a silent strike on poor by Modi govt, says Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday said Union Budget 2023-24 is a "silent strike" on the poor by the Modi government and hits at the heart of all far-reaching rights-based legislation enacted during the UPA rule. In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Gandhi also made an apparent reference to the allegations against the Adani Group, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers are resorting to loud chants of 'vishwa guru' and 'Amrit Kaal', even as "financial scandals" erupt over his "favourite and favoured businessman". "The prime minister's policy to benefit his few rich friends at the expense of poor and middle-class Indians has led to continuous disasters from demonetisation to a badly-designed GST hurting small businesses, to the failed attempt to bring about the three farm laws and the subsequent neglect of agriculture," Gandhi alleged. "Destructive" privatisation has handed over priceless national assets to selected private hands cheaply, leading to

Sonia to attend President's address as Congress leaders stuck in Srinagar

Sonia Gandhi will attend the President's address to Parliament on Tuesday as many party MPs, including Leader of Opposition are stuck in Srinagar due to inclement weather

Sonia Gandhi recovering from respiratory infection, says Ganga Ram Hospital

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi who was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here on Wednesday with a viral infection is stable and is recovering well, doctors attending on her said on Friday. "Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA, who is admitted at the hospital for a viral respiratory infection is stable and is making a gradual recovery," said a statement from the hospital. The 76-year-old Congress leader was accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra when she was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital here on Wednesday for routine check-up, sources said. Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her to the hospital, they said. According to them, Sonia Gandhi has been suffering from a respiratory infection. Sources added that Sonia Gandhi has been unwell since Tuesday which is why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had returned to Delhi after walking seven kilometres in the Bharat Jodo Yatra that entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening. The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed its journey at 6 am on Wednesday after halting for the night at Mavikalan in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat. Priyanka Gandhi did not, however, join Rahul Gandhi at the yatra's resumption. She is likely to join after noon, party sources said.

Sonia Gandhi admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital for routine check-up: Report

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital here on Wednesday for routine check-up, sources said. Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her to the hospital, they said. According to them, Sonia Gandhi has been suffering from a respiratory infection. Sources added that Sonia Gandhi has been unwell since Tuesday which is why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had returned to Delhi after walking seven kilometres in the Bharat Jodo Yatra that entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening. The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed its journey at 6 am on Wednesday after halting for the night at Mavikalan in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat. Priyanka Gandhi did not, however, join Rahul Gandhi at the yatra's resumption. She is likely to join after noon, party sources said.

Judiciary vs Executive: Can a referee become a player?

It may be inadvertent, but the VP seemed to have joined the ongoing face-off between the judiciary and the government

Gandhi family walks together as Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Delhi today

The Gandhi family walked together in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday as former party president Sonia Gandhi, her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren joined Rahul Gandhi in the march in the national capital. Sonia Gandhi and her family members walked with Rahul Gandhi for a short distance till the yatra halted for the morning break at the Ashram Chowk in Delhi. This is the second time Sonia Gandhi, also Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, joined the yatra that began in September from Kanyakumari. She had earlier taken part in the march in October when it was in Mandya in Karnataka. This is the first time the entire family has walked in the Bharat Jodo Yatra together. Wearing a mask, Sonia Gandhi walked with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra and her grandchildren and waved to the public waiting along the roads to see the family. "The love that I have received from her, I am sharing the same with the country," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi with a picture of

Sonia, Priyanka join Rahul Gandhi for Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi

As the foot-march entered the national capital in the morning, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP and RSS, saying they believe in "spreading hatred" but the common people want "harmony

Oppn leaders protest in Parl, demand discussion on India-China faceoff

She said that when facing "a significant national challenge," it has been the tradition to bring Parliament into confidence

Disallowing debate on China disrespect to democracy: Sonia Gandhi

Addressing a meeting of party MPs, Sonia Gandhi accused the Centre for disrespecting democracy by not allowing a debate in Parliament on the recent China transgressions