Page 19 - Sonia Gandhi

After Gandhis refused to fight Prez poll, decided to enter fray: Kharge

Congress presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said he decided to enter the fray for the top post after members of the Gandhi family refused to contest the poll and he wanted to strengthen the party. The electoral contest would take place between Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, and voting will take place on October 17 in every state capital through secret ballot. "After the Gandhi family refused to contest the election for the post of Congress president, I decided to contest this election after consulting my well-wishers," said Kharge, who was here to meet members of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC). "I decided to contest the election to strengthen the Congress and to save its ideology," Kharge said, adding he was meeting more than 9,000 members of his party across the country and seeking their support. He said that he has prepared his manifesto by incorporating the announcements made at the party's Udaipur Chintan Shivir. "Fifty per cent posts in the organisa

When Mulayam and Pawar dashed Sonia Gandhi's prime ministerial hopes

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away on Monday, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar formed the unlikely duo who set in motion political events in 1999 that dashed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's prime ministerial hopes. Gandhi, then a newly appointed Congress chief, had staked claim to form the government at the Centre after the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had lost the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 1999. We have 272 and we hope to get morewe are confident we will get more, Gandhi had famously told reporters at the Rashtrapati Bhawan after calling on the then President K R Narayanan. However, Yadav, whose 20 members in the Lok Sabha were crucial for the Congress to cross the majority mark, had different plans and was not keen to back Gandhi as the prime minister. Yadav had proposed the name of CPI(M) stalwart Jyoti Basu for the top executive post, bristling at Gandhi's claims of forming a Congress ...

Contesting Congress prez poll as no Gandhi member running for post: Kharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday expressed regret that none from the Gandhi family was running for the party chief's post and said he took the plunge on advice of all in the party. As part of his campaign for the AICC presidential post, Kharge visited the headquarters of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in Vijayawada. Kharge said he played a long innings in Karnataka politics and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 on the advice of current party president Sonia Gandhi. "Election for the Congress president's post became inevitable as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka refused to take it up. So I have jumped into the fray for the president's post on the advice of all in the party," Kharge told reporters after addressing the AP Congress leaders. "I served as Union Labour and Social Justice minister," he said and also mentioned his tenure as Congress party leader in Lok Sabha. Kharge said he would implement the Udaipur Declaration of offering 50 per cent of p

Kharge rubbishes talk of him being 'Sonia's remote control', slams BJP

Senior Congress leader and candidate for the party's presidential polls Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said there is no such thing as "remote control" in his party unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party, where every president is selected through a "consensus". In the city to campaign for the election to the party's top post, Kharge asserted that if becomes the head of the grand old party, the remote control would be with him. He was replying to a query about the BJP's claim that he would act as the "remote control" and "proxy" of Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the post. "A lot of people say I am a remote control and work from behind. They say I will do what Sonia Gandhi will say. There is no such thing as remote control in Congress, people take decisions together. It is your thinking. A few people are creating this idea," Kharge said. Attacking the BJP, he said, "How many times has the prime minister held (party president's) election? All the presidents were selected through consensu

Sonia Gandhi joins Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka's Mandya

Congress interim president on Thursday morning joined the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Mandya in Karnataka

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra will have no impact: Karnataka CM Bommai

The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', which is currently passing through the poll bound Karnataka, with the participation from the party's top leadership- Sonai, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, "will have no impact", state's Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday. He rejected the claims that the ruling BJP was planning for rallies and state-wide tours of its leaders to counter the Congress' yatra, stating that they were planned much earlier. "Naturally all party leaders will work for their own party, she (Sonia Gandhi) has walked for half-a-kilometer and gone, it's okay. As far as we are concerned, we have nothing to do with it and it doesn't make any impact," Bommai said in response to a question on the impact of Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi's marching in the state as part of the yatra. To a question on the ruling BJP planning rallies and state wide travel of its leaders, to counter Congress' yatra, he said these were all planned much earlier. "As I had said earlier there will be

Sonia Gandhi arrives in Karnataka to take part in Bharat Jodo Yatra

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Monday arrived here to take part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by her son, party leader Rahul Gandhi

Congress president's election: Uncertain times ahead for the party

The election of Kharge as Congress president is almost certain. From here on, if the Congress does not improve its poor electoral performance, a challenge could emerge to the Gandhi family leadership

Sonia to participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra on Oct 6 in Karnataka: Report

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on October 6 in Karnataka, sources said on Sunday. The Yatra will pass through Karnataka for 21 days covering 511 km in the state. It began on September 7 from Kanyakumari and entered Karnataka on Friday after passing through Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Sonia Gandhi will walk with the participants on October 6 during the Karnataka leg of the Yatra, a party source said. This would be the first time that Sonia Gandhi will participate in the Yatra which began when she was abroad for a medical check-up. Rahul Gandhi has been walking continuously in the Yatra and reached Gundlupet in Karnataka on September 30 from Gudalur in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The Yatra has entered a crucial phase with the Karnataka leg as the state goes to polls next year and is the first time when it is passing through a BJP-ruled state.

Kharge, Tharoor and Tripathi in fray for Congress Presidential poll

Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi Tharoor and K N Tripathi are the three men in the Congress presidential race for which nominations end on Friday with the veteran Kharge from Karnataka emerging a clear favourite. The 80-year-old Kharge, flanked by top Congress leaders, filed several sets of nomination papers with the proposers also including members from the G-23 ginger group comprising Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari and Bhupinder Hooda. Tharoor, who was also part of the G-23 group, filed five sets of nomination papers, while former Jharkhand minister Tripathi filed a single set of poll papers with Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the Congress's Central Election Authority. Kharge appeared to be a clear favourite for the Congress presidential election as a galaxy of leaders were present by his side when he filed his nomination papers at the AICC headquarters here. "I was encouraged by all leaders, party workers and delegates from key states to contest the elections. I th

Gandhi family not backing anyone 'directly or indirectly': Tharoor

Congress presidential poll candidate Shashi Tharoor on Friday said he is aware of his underdog tag and talk of an 'official candidate' in some quarters but he has been assured by the Gandhi family repeatedly that they are "neither directly nor indirectly" backing anyone. Tharoor, who filed his nomination papers for the top post at the AICC headquarters here, also said it is apparent that not everything about the electoral process has been ideal, but added that there is no point seeking perfection now as if one wants to play the match, one has to "bat on the available pitch". The Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, asserted that he remains convinced of the party's commitment towards ensuring that these elections take place in a free and fair manner. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Tharoor said he believes that a fresh leader, who has not been "jaded by being entrenched within the current system for too long", could energise the party and also appeal to more voters than the Congress .

Congress president poll: As nominations close, here are 10 things to know

This is the first Congress president election in more than 20 years with no member of the Gandhi family in the contest

G23 meet sparks possibility of 3rd candidate in Congress president poll

With the process of the Congress president election gathering pace ahead of the last day of filing nominations, some G-23 leaders held a meeting on Thursday evening at the residence of Anand Sharma.

Congress presidential polls: Mallikarjun Kharge to meet Sonia Gandhi today

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will meet party president Sonia Gandhi on Friday, the last day of filing nomination papers

Stage set for Digvijaya Singh vs Shashi Tharoor for top Congress post

Gehlot apologises, opts out of race; Sonia to take call on Rajasthan CM

Met Sonia Gandhi, discussed events in Rajasthan in detail: Sachin Pilot

Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday night met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and said he discussed the events in the state in detail and expressed his sentiments on the situation. Pilot spent around an hour at Gandhi's residence and also conveyed his feedback to her. "I met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and we discussed the events in Rajasthan in detail," Pilot said after meeting the Congress chief. Pilot met hours after his bete noire Ashok Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi in the afternoon, after which the Rajasthan chief minister announced that he will opt out of the Congress president's race. "I have conveyed my sentiments, given my feedback to Sonia Gandhi. Our priority is to win 2023 assembly polls in Rajasthan for which we will have to work together," Pilot said after the meeting. "Whatever positive decisions have to be taken with respect to Rajasthan, Congress president will take," Pilot said when asked on the action to be taken by the party after the

Congress leader says Sonia will decide on Rajasthan CM 'in a day or two'

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will decide on the Rajasthan chief minister's post within a day or two, party general secretary KC Venugopal said on Thursday. Venugopal made the statement outside Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence here after a series of meetings to resolve the Rajasthan crisis. He also said it will be clear by tomorrow, the last day of filing nominations for the top post, who all will contest. The comments came soon after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state, and said the decision on whether he would remain CM would be taken by the party chief. After meeting the party president, Gehlot told reporters that he apologised to Gandhi for the developments on Sunday when MLAs supporting him defied the central observers and thwarted the move to hold a meeting of party legislators. Instead, they held a parallel meeting to pitch for Gehlot's

Won't contest election for Congress president: Gehlot after meeting Sonia

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday announced that he will not contest the Congress presidential polls as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in his state. After meeting party president Sonia Gandhi, Gehlot told reporters that he apologised to her for the developments on Sunday when MLAs supporting him defied the central observers and thwarted their move to hold a meeting of party legislators. Instead, they held a parallel meet to pitch for Gehlot's continuation or the guarantee that his bete noire Sachin Pilot does not replace him. Gehlot, a three-time state chief minister, described himself as a disciplined soldier of the party and expressed his sadness over the turn of affairs in the state. Asked if he will continue as chief minister, Gehlot said Gandhi will decide on the issue.

Top headlines:Deadline for 6 airbags extended; Gehlot out of Cong Prez race

The government said on Thursday it is deferring until October 2023 the implementation of norms mandating six airbags in all cars, giving the industry a one-year extension

Ashok Gehlot arrives in Delhi, says internal issues will be resolved soon

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot arrived in the national capital on Wednesday night amid speculation that he will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. The chief minister arrived around 10.30 pm on a special aircraft. Talking to reporters, Gehlot said internal issues that have cropped up within the party ahead of the Congress president's election will be resolved soon. He said the party has internal discipline, which helped it "survive the decline in Lok Sabha numbers" and it continues to be a national party. "There is discipline in the party under Soniaji," he said. "The events being reported by the media are small issues which keep happening. The media may have its own perspective on these events," he added. Gehlot said fighting issues the country is facing is more important for them. "Matters of a family are part and parcel of internal politics. We will solve everything," he told reporters in Delhi. He said for them the Congress president is foremost and they