Page 4 - Sonia Gandhi

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

Cong prez polls: Digvijaya Singh may enter the fray; Sonia meets Antony

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is likely to run for the party president's post even as the old grand party scrambles to find a candidate with barely two days left for the nomination process to end and its president Sonia Gandhi holding consultations with party veterans. The Congress President held a meeting with senior leader and loyalist A K Antony for more than an hour on Wednesday and is understood to have discussed the probable candidates for the Congress president. The meeting with Antony came days after an open rebellion by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state, clouding Gehlot's chances of running for the presidency. The Congress presidential polls, in which a non-Gandhi is expected to be elected after more than two decades, have been marred by the Rajasthan crisis. Gehlot is also likely to meet Gandhi on Thursday amid uncertainty over the filing of his nomination. According to sources close to Singh, the forme

Gehlot may meet Sonia on Thursday to resolve Rajasthan crisis: Report

Gehlot was supposed to leave Jaipur for Delhi on Wednesday evening but his plan was postponed and now, there are possibilities of him leaving later

Ashok Gehlot likely to meet Sonia Gandhi to end Cong president poll crisis

After the crisis broke out in the Congress in Rajasthan, sources on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi here and give an explanation of the happenings

Rajasthan crisis: Three Ashok Gehlot loyalists get show-cause notice

Congress president Sonia Gandhi deputed senior leaders Ambika Soni and Anand Sharma to talk to Gehlot