Page 50 - Congress

Left could rule Tripura due to backdoor understanding with Congress: BJP

The BJP on Saturday alleged that the Left Front could rule Tripura for long years because of a "backdoor understanding" with the Congress. BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee said although the two parties dominated Tripura since its statehood in 1972, the saffron party changed the state's "political arithmetic" by winning 36 seats in the 60-member House in the 2018 assembly elections, thus pushing Congress to the margins. "During elections, CPI(M) used to assert that the Left Front will win 50 seats, while Congress claimed it will return to power. When results were declared, the Left's assertion came true, while leaders of the grand old party went incommunicado," he said at a party programme in Gandacherra in Dhalai district. "People of the state are well aware of the tricky politics of both the Left and the Congress. The political alignment between the two parties, that are advocating for an alliance among the secular forces, is not new in the state," he said, while urging the

Inflation, unemployment key issues for people in Himachal, says Congress

The Congress has accused the BJP of "double standards" on the issue of dynastic politics in Himachal and said sons of some BJP leaders have been given tickets for the assembly polls in the state

Congress, BJP want FIR to be registered against CPI(M) leaders: Swapna

The sexual assault charges raised by gold smuggling through diplomatic channel case prime accused Swapna Suresh against three prominent leaders of the ruling CPI(M) triggered a political controversy in Kerala on Saturday. Opposition Congress and BJP leaders urged the police to register a case against the trio and asked the Left government to shed its silence over the issue. Suresh, while talking to a TV channel, had alleged on Friday that the leaders -- two former ministers and an ex-Assembly speaker -- had sought sexual favours from her. However, neither the leaders nor the Marxist party reacted to the startling charges so far. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said it has been seen in Kerala's history that an FIR gets registered and investigated when such grave allegations are levelled. Pointing out the recent rape and assault cases registered against their party MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly, the Congress leaders also said if a case

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul to enter Telangana on Sunday

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi will enter Gudebellur in Telangana on Sunday morning, after exiting Karnataka from Raichur. The Telangana leg of the march will begin from Gudebellur in Mahabubnagar district. Telangana Congress has made elaborate arrangements to welcome Rahul's marathon walk at the entry point on Karnataka-Telangana border. After breakfast at Gudebellur, the Yatra will break for Diwali for three days from October 23 noon till October 26, a press release from TPCC said. After that, the Yatra will resume on October 27 morning from Gudebellur. It will reach Maktal and continue for 16 days in Telangana, covering 19 assembly and 7 Parliamentary constituencies for a distance of 375 km, before entering Maharashtra on November 7. The 16-day yatra will take three days for Diwali and a one-day general break on November 4, it said. Rahul will be undertaking 20-25 KM 'padyatra' per day holding corner meetings and will participate in a meet at Necklace Ro

Govt cheating farmers, MSP hike less than even inflation rate: Congress

The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of cheating farmers and said the Minimum Support Price for rabi crops announced by it is even lesser than the rate of inflation. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said even as the BJP dispensation is patting its back for MSPs, it has in fact "duped the farmers" and claimed that their hard labour has got lost in the lights of Diwali. "The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers' hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmer and left them to shed tears of blood," he said in a series of tweets in Hindi. Calling out the BJP for what it called as "fraud with farmers", he said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP and demanded that the MSP law granting legal status to MSP is urgently required. "BJP's 'Shakuni Chausar'

Kharge's presidency of Congress in Modi era is a poisoned chalice

It's time to admit the Congress's problem is not, in fact, the Gandhis. If anything, they hold together a party that would otherwise split into multiple factions

'PayCM campaign': Karnataka HC quashes cases against 2 Congress leaders

The Karnataka High Court quashed cases against two Congress leaders in connection with the 'PayCM campaign' launched by the grand old party to target the BJP-led government in the state

Modi's frequent visits to Gujarat betray people's disaffection: Congress

The Congress on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his long visits to poll-bound Gujarat saying it indicates all is not well for the BJP in his home state and he should open up a camp office there. Congress' In-charge for Gujarat affairs Raghu Sharma on Friday claimed that there is a lot of anger against the BJP in the state, and called the ruling party "anti-tribal." He said the party's stance towards tribals was evident from the recent attacks on Congress MLA and tribal leader Anant Patel, which he alleged was done at the behest of Gujarat BJP chief C R Patil. Sharma also accused new entrants, Aam Aadmi Party and AIMIM, as "B-teams" of the BJP, as they were aiding the saffron party in elections across the country, including in Gujarat. He took a dig at Union Home minister Amit Shah saying he is always seen in Gujarat these days, which is indicative of the rising unrest among local people in the state, which will be reflected in the upcoming assembly ...

PM Modi accuses previous governments of neglecting centres of faith

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the previous governments of leaving the centres of faith across the country in a state of neglect for years and claimed that these places are now being restored to their lost glory. Citing the examples of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction work has been carried out in recent years, Modi attributed the "years of neglect" of these places to a "slave mentality". "Pride in our own legacy and every possible effort for development are the foundation of a 21st-century India," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Mana village on the India-China border, after laying the foundation stones of two ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib. Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers at the famous Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand.

Congress committed to grant special status to Andhra: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completed Andhra Pradesh leg of his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' with the reiteration that his party remains committed to grant special category status to the state

'Untraceable' Kerala MLA appears before media; says innocent in rape case

A day after he was granted anticipatory bail by a court in a case of rape and attempt to murder, Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly on Friday appeared before the media and claimed that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong as alleged by the complainant woman. The two-time legislator expressed confidence that he could prove charges against him as wrong in the court and could come out clean. Kunnappilly, who met reporters separately at his house here, also said he gave his explanation to the Congress party as directed by the KPCC and it was up to them to decide on further steps. Asked why he had gone absconding after the victim approached the police with the complaint, the Perumbavoor MLA just said his anticipatory bail plea was before the court. "My anticipatory bail plea was before the court. I have not done anything wrong. I submitted every proof for that before the court. It will be proved that I have committed nothing wrong," Kunnappilly said. The police and party leadershi

Rahul Gandhi crosses again into Karnataka in his Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Andhra Pradesh leg of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded on Friday as he once again crossed into neighbouring Karnataka. After an overnight stay, Rahul Gandhi resumed his foot march at Mantralayam on Friday morning. He crossed the AP border at Raichur and returned to Karnataka. The Wayanad MP's yatra passed through Anantapuramu and Kurnool districts in two legs, the first one for a few hours on October 14 and the next for four days from the October 18. Huge crowds enthusiastically lined up to greet the Congress leader. Rahul Gandhi himself observed that the Yatra drew "tremendous response" in AP, and pointed out that his party leaders were also "quite surprised at the enthusiasm and response that we have had." He saw the Bharat Jodo Yatra as "a very good starting point" to build the Congress in the state. Post the bifurcation of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh for the creation of a new Telangana state, the Congress has lost its moorings in AP. But, du

Clear from beginning that Cong establishment will choose Kharge: Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor who lost to Mallikarjun Kharge in the Congress presidential election said that it was clear from the beginning that the party's establishment would rally behind his opponent

Congress making Dalits 'scapegoats': Mayawati after Kharge's election

A day after Mallikarjun Kharge was elected the Congress president, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the 137-year-old party of remembering Dalits only in its bad times and making them "scapegoats". Kharge (80), a Dalit leader from Karnataka, trounced his 66-year-old rival Shashi Tharoor in a historic election held four days ago to become the first non-Gandhi to head the Congress in 24 years. In a series of tweets, Mayawati said, "The history of the Congress is a witness that it has always neglected/disdained the messiah of the downtrodden Param Pujya Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and his society. This party does not remember the safety and honour of Dalits in its good days, but makes them a scapegoat in bad days." "The Congress party remembers mostly non-Dalits in the long run of good days and puts Dalits in front in their bad days as in the current times. Is this not deceit and pseudo politics? People ask, 'Is this the real love of the Congress towards Dalits'?" she said in .

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi resumes padayatra from Andhra's Banavasi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed Bharat Jodo Yatra from the Banavasi village of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh in morning

Sonia Gandhi has last word in Cong, likely to remain so: Ashwani Kumar

Former Congress leader Ashwani Kumar has said the election of Mallikarjun Kharge as party president by a huge margin shows Sonia Gandhi has the last word in the organisation's internal politics. She is likely to command such respect as long as she is active in the party in whatever capacity, Kumar said on Wednesday while asserting that it is because party persons retain a sense of personal loyalty to her, which extends to the family. "That Kharge was her undeclared choice is indisputable notwithstanding vehement denials by the establishment to the contrary. Sonia Gandhi has once again demonstrated her astute political judgment in using elections to demonstrate the family's pre-eminence in the party established over long years of exercise of political patronage," Kumar said in a statement. The former union minister also lauded Shashi Tharoor for taking on the challenge to contest the top Congress post and said he is no loser. "The election process is a victory for him. He invested h

Mallikarjun Kharge: Some lesser known facts about Congress' 98th president

Interim president Sonia Gandhi met Kharge today and congratulated him for winning the elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his wishes to Kharge

Best of BS Opinion: Pricing pressure, Congress votes for status quo, & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Mallikarjun Kharge faces multiple challenges in new role as Congress chief

He is the first non-Gandhi president of the party in more than 20 years

Will Kharge be a rubber stamp or a connect between party and family?

Kharge began life as a trade union lawyer and knows what it is to struggle