Page 9 - Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi to miss LS polls, sends emotional message to Rae Bareli voters

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday informed voters of her Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh that she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls due to health and age issues. In an emotional message to the constituents of the segment she has represented since 2004, the 77-year-old also threw subtle hints of a possible entry of a member of her family from the Rae Bareli segment. "I am proud to say that whatever I am today, I am because of you and I have always done my best to honour your trust. Now on account of health and age issues, I will not contest the next Lok Sabha election," she said in the message. "After this decision, I will not have the opportunity to serve you directly but my heart and soul will always remain with you. I know that you will stand by me and my family in future, just as you have in the past," she said in the message written in Hindi. The message to the voters comes a day after the former Congress president filed her nomination for

Rahul Gandhi led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' to resume with rally in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Thursday pick up the threads of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' with a public meeting in Bihar's Aurangabad district, about 150 km from the state capital. According to senior party leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to address the rally. "Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are likely to reach Gaya by flight and take a helicopter for Aurangabad. Thereafter, Gandhi will resume the Yatra", Mishra told PTI over phone. Notably, Gandhi was last seen in Bihar a fortnight ago when his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra had covered four districts of the Seemanchal region. According to Mishra, after the rally, Gandhi is likely to interact with farmers in Tekari Vidhan Sabha area, which falls in Gaya district but is a part of the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency. "Gandhi will spend the night at Sasaram. On Friday he will travel to Kaimur district from where we will see him off into the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh"

Manmohan Singh to end 33 yrs stint in RS on Apr 3; Sonia to begin first

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh will end his 33-year-long parliamentary innings in the Rajya Sabha in early April, just as former party chief Sonia Gandhi enters the Upper House of Parliament for the first time. Singh, who is known for ushering in several bold reforms in the economy, became a member of the House for the first time in October 1991. He was finance minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996 and the prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Sonia Gandhi will enter the upper house for the first time from Rajasthan, filling the seat that will fall vacant after 91-year-old Singh completes his tenure on April 3. The Congress leader filed filed her nomination papers in Jaipur on Wednesday. She will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter the Rajya Sabha after former prime minister and her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, who had a two-and-a-half-year tenure (from August 1964 to February 1967) as a member of the House. Sonia Gandhi ha

Rajya Sabha elections: Congress fields Sonia Gandhi, Singhvi in first list

The Congress has released the names of four candidates, one each for Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar, for Rajya Sabha biennial elections, slated for Feb 27

Farmer protest: Rahul Gandhi speaks with injured farmer, attacks Modi govt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken with a farmer injured in police action during the tillers' protest march, and accused the Modi government of having a "dictatorial attitude" towards the country's food providers. Gandhi's telephonic conversation on Tuesday night with the injured farmer, Gurmeet Singh, was facilitated by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring who visited a government hospital in Rajpura town of Patiala district after the farmers clashed with Haryana Police. In a post in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said, "Talked on phone to former soldier Gurmeet Singh ji, who was seriously injured in police atrocities during the farmers' movement." "Equired about his health and expressed support to him for their peaceful movement demanding their rights," the former Congress chief said. "He is a youth as well as a farmer - instead of hailing him, this dictatorial attitude of the Modi government towards the country's protector and food provider is putting democra

Rajasthan Congress welcomes Sonia Gandhi's nomination for Rajya Sabha

Sonia Gandhi left her residence early on Wednesday morning for Rajasthan from where she will file her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections

Sonia Gandhi to submit nomination for RS polls from Rajasthan today

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi will file on Wednesday her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan, party sources said. It will be the 77-year-old leader's first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP. Congress sources said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are likely to accompany her to Jaipur for filing her papers. Gandhi, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general elections. She has been a five-term Lok Sabha MP and was first elected in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president. "She is likely to file nomination for Rajya Sabha on Wednesday," a source said. A total of 56 members of Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on February 27. The last date for filing nominations is February 15. The Congress is comfortably placed to win one of the three Rajya Sabha sea

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Rajya Sabha elections: Sonia Gandhi likely to file nomination from Jaipur

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi are likely to travel with Sonia to Rajasthan's capital city where she will file her nomination, party sources said on Tuesday

Congress likely to send former party chief Sonia Gandhi to Rajya Sabha

Congress leaders met at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to discuss the names of candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for February 27

Few benefitting from 'system', others paying GST, dying of hunger: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Centre, claiming that only some people were benefitting from the "system" in the country while all the others were paying taxes and dying of hunger. If the people raise voice against anything, they have to face action by the ED, CBI and the I-T department, Gandhi said addressing a gathering at Ramgarh chowk in Udaipur area of Chhattisgarh's Surguja district as part of his 'Bharata Jodo Nyay Yatra'. He claimed that violence was happening and hatred was being spread because injustice was being meted out to the people in the country round-the clock. Perhaps, it has been happening so much that people are not even able to realise it. It has become like a habit, Gandhi said. "You (people) must ask a question to yourself thrice a day that how much money you are getting from the country's fund each day. How much return you are getting after your day-long struggle and efforts. In 10 days, you will come to know that you are being ..

Cong govt in Guj included PM Modi's caste in OBC list in 1994: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said it is very unfortunate that there is a debate on the caste of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has a habit of telling lies publicly and repeating those thereafter. Shah also said it was a Congress government in Gujarat that included Modi's caste in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in 1994 and the Centre included the prime minister's caste in its OBC list in 2000. "Modi's caste was listed in Gujarat as OBC on July 25, 1994. At that time, the chief minister of Gujarat was Chhabildas Mehta and the party in power was the Congress. Till that time, Modi had not contested a single election. He used to work for the organisation only. The question of his caste did not come at all. "Subsequently, the Gujarat government recommended for the inclusion of his caste in the central OBC list. It was finally included in the central OBC list in 2000. At that time also, Modi was not in a position of power -

Congress questions timing of Bharat Ratna award to former PMs, Swaminathan

In a line-up post on X, PM Modi said that, as a distinguished scholar and statesman, Narasimha Rao served India extensively in various capacities

HM Shah expresses gratitude to PM for conferring Bharat Ratna to ex-PMs

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conferring Bharat Ratna to former PM PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh

We take such decision after rising above politics: Rajnath on Bharat Ratna

Former Prime Minister and veteran Congress leaders PV Narsimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, PM Modi announced on Friday

Welcome Bharat Ratna to ex-PM Narasimha Rao: Cong veteran Sonia Gandhi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said she "welcomes" the announcement of giving Bharat Ratna to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. Asked about the Bharat Ratna announcements, specifically for Rao, Sonia Gandhi in a short reply said, "I welcome them... why not". Former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh as well as agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday.

Bharat Ratna: 'Dil jeet liya', says Jayant; Sonia welcomes announcement

Political leaders congratulate and pay tribute to the winners of this year's Bharat Ratna awards - P V Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and M S Swaminathan. Here is what they had to say

BJP's 2-point programme to spread injustice, hatred, violence, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the BJP, alleging that the ruling party's two-point programme is to encourage injustice and spread hatred and violence. Gandhi was addressing a public meeting at Rengalpali village in Chhattsigarh's Raigarh district after his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' entered the state from Odisha. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he was not an OBC by birth as his caste "ghanchi" was included in the Other Backward Classes list in 2000 in Gujarat by the then BJP government there. "The BJP's two-point programme is to encourage injustice and spread hatred and violence," Gandhi claimed. One year ago, the Bharat Jodo Yatra covered about 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir (in 2022-23) against the BJP's act to spread hatred and create an atmosphere of violence. Now the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has been started to seek justice for the people, he said. Reiterating his party's pitch for caste census, Gandhi said, "If Modi ji says ther

PM Modi lauds ex-PM Manmohan Singh in RS farewell speech for retiring MPs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while bidding farewell to the retiring members in Rajya Sabha on Thursday lauded the "immense contribution" of his predecessor Manmohan Singh

Nyay Yatra to go on two-day break after Odisha-leg: Jairam Ramesh

The Odisha leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, being spearheaded by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to be completed on Thursday, party leader Jairam Ramesh said