With an eye on the assembly elections due this year end, All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi set out on a tour of Bihar on Monday and said the Congress will go it alone like the party did for Lok Sabha polls in the National Democratic Alliance-ruled state.
What India needs more than one simultaneous election is better governance both at the central and state level. Yes, we need reforms, but our priority should be to make elections less expensive, make it more democratic, do away with freebies which are actually bribes before elections, allow only those who are educated to contest, and bring in a bill to make it impossible for criminals to contest, advocates Ramesh Menon.
Kamat was a Member of Parliament for the Mumbai North West constituency in 2009 and the Mumbai North East constituency in 1984, 1991, 1998 and 2004.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, addressed the Parliament on Lokpal issue on Friday during Zero Hour.
Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday traveled across Jharkand and visited some of the Maoist-affected districts in the state which have been rocked by an upsurge in Maoist violence in the recent weeks. Jharkand has been under President's rule since January and there is speculation that assembly elections may be held by the end of this year. Besides Sahebganj, Rahul also visited Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Dumka, some of which have been hit by Maoist violence.
The Haryana police said it was narrowing down its search with the help of forensic experts for the young men who had thrown stones at the Amritsar-bound Shatabdi train in which All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi had been travelling on Tuesday night.
The Congress on Friday favoured a negotiated settlement to the Ayodhya issue saying all right thinking people should work for a compromise within the next three months in wake of the Allahabad high court verdict.
A day after he cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, Bishnoi also said that he listened to his soul and acted on his conscience.
A fake driving license has been issued in the name of All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in Bihar's Sarna district, following which the state government on Tuesday ordered a probe into it. The present address in the fake license was that of the district magistrate's residence (Chapra) while the permanent address was of Parliament Street, New Delhi. The license also mentioned late Rajiv Gandhi as the father of the license holder.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi seems to be taking a great deal of interest in a large number of party and government matters as he shifts to the centre-stage of Congress politics.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to press for the implementation of a Central government report for a package of Rs 8,000 crore for development of the backward Bundelkhand region.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday met Sonia Gandhi and expressed his intention to contest the upcoming AICC chief polls, while the Congress president conveyed that she would stay "neutral" in the elections, sources said.
Ministers, legislators and Members of Legislative Council are understood to have raised a virtual rebellion against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, protesting his unilateral style of functioning.
The party in Uttar Pradesh is seeing the visit as the virtual launch of the Congress campaign in the state, ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.
In a veiled attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused him of practising "politics of anger" and said it was time people switch to the power of "love", preached by the Mahatma, to ensure progress of Gujarat.
Congress leaders and workers took to the streets on Monday in Delhi and various state capitals as Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi for questioning in the National Herald case, with the opposition party accusing the Modi government of 'trampling on democracy'.
The Congress said there was "nothing extraordinary" in Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi appearing before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots case, as he had only done his duty.
Speaking to mediapersons in Lucknow, he said, "There is no mechanism with the central government to curb the rising price of vegetables including onion; that can be done by the state governments."
With two contenders for chief minister's post, the Congress is having difficulty to install its government despite having numbers on their sides.
The Congress met Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday and urged him to dismiss the Kumaraswamy-led state government. Congress leaders also asked Thakur to impose President's rule in Karnataka. During the meeting, Congress legislators submitted individual letters to Thakur stating that they will not support any party in government formation.
"We have a commitment before the people of Karnataka. Parliament elections are ahead. So, I have to bow to the AICC president and the Gandhi family. In the larger interest of the party (I have agreed to the formula) and why not, because sometimes the ice should break. Ultimately, there is a responsibility towards what we have a commitment to the people of Karnataka and we have to deliver," he said.
Within two or three days, a Congress team would discuss seat sharing arrangements with the NCP. The task is to be finished by the end of August.
Favouring a stringent law to deal with attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said rowdyism by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or Shiv Sena workers should not be tolerated at any cost.
The Karnataka leg of All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's Discover India tour is scheduled to start on Tuesday. During his five day tour, Rahul will visit eight districts in the state. the eight districts on Rhul's itinerary - Chamarajanagar, Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot, Bijapur and Raichur are not the traditional strongholds of his party. A major part of Rahul's tour will involve interaction with tribals.
All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh on Friday rued that a section of political parties were out to fan communal sentiments over the latest spell of riot in Assam while making an appeal to all sections of people to maintain restraint at this critical juncture so that normalcy could be restored properly in the riot-hit areas.
Even if the Congress is unable to defeat the political appeal of Narendra Modi, the resources and talent of the BJP and its managers, it is relying on issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the perceived threat to Assamese identity, along with the future threat of the National People's Register to ensure it continues to be a force in the state. Aditi Phadnis reports.
After the party's near washout in assembly polls, the demand for a overhaul is growing with spokesman Abhishek Singhvi arguing for younger state leaders.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, addressed the Parliament on Lokpal issue on Friday during the Zero Hour. Addressing, the Lok Sabha, the Gandhi scion said, "the fight against corruption needs a strong political will." Rahul Gandhi also thanked Anna for creating awareness on the issue of corruption.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apparently to discuss the Lokpal issue.
The Congress in north Karnataka has been given a three month ultimatum to regain its past glory by All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who met with youth Congress party workers at Hubli on Wednesday. Rahul sought to know why the party's performance has been dismal in north Karnataka. He urged party workers to pull up their socks and work extensively towards bettering the party.
'Priyanka Gandhi play is not only about winning allies and lifting spirits; it's also about cash'
All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday took potshots at the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party government in Uttar Pradesh, saying there is place for statues and elephants but not development, and spoke of the need for Congress to come to power in the state. On a thanksgiving visit to his constituency Amethi, the first after his victory in the Lok Sabha polls, he avoided any comments on the raging row.
June 19 is All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's birthday. It would be his first after the party's almost decisive victory in the Lok Sabha elections. And the party wants to say 'thank you' to the young leader in style and substance.
The MLAs who have been expelled for six years are Sanjay Pratap Jayaswal (Basti district), Madhuri Verma (Bahraich), Vijay Dube (Kushinagar), Mohammed Muslim (Tiloi-Amethi), Dil Nawaz Khan (Bulandshahar) and Nawab Kasim Ali Khan (Rampur).
The Congress Working Committee finally accepted Rahul Gandhi's resignation during its second meeting of the day.
Sources said senior leaders of the party have been told to reach out to other leaders of the alliance and talks with some parties have begun.
The Supreme Court judgment cancelling the licences of telecom companies in the 2G spectrum allocation case is likely to be challenged by way of a review petition, All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijay Singh said in Hyderabad on Friday.
Former National Students Union of India President Alka Lamba has quit the Congress and could be joining the Aam Aadmi Party, a development that the ruling party sought to downplay saying it was long that she held any post in the party or was fielded in any election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serving 'dhokla' to Chinese President Xi Jinping when incursions from that country continue, Congress leaders said on Thursday taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party and Modi.