Now, every state election -- first up, Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand later this year, then Delhi in January and Bihar in September next year -- will be seen by his followers for evidence of his recovery, and by rivals of sharpening decline, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Brushing aside opposition after dithering for nearly four years, the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance coalition on Tuesday unanimously endorsed creation of a separate Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh.
A series of protests continued in the Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh for the sixth consecutive day on Monday against the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance's decision to bifurcate the state for creation of Telangana.
The imapsse continues over issues like bank scams and special status demand for Andhra Pradesh.
As the news of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's proposed press conference in Delhi on Monday came out, political activity in Andhra Pradesh picked up.
Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh V Kishore Chandra Deo is tipped to head the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum scam, according to highly placed sources in the Congress party.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL challenging the Union cabinet's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana state.
The Chikkaballapura MLA tweeted: "Personally I am confused why the issue of EVM manipulation is being brought into conversation while talking about the exit poll results.
Congress general secretary and leader-in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh added to the confusion surrounding the Telangana issue on Thursday when he spoke about the possibility of a Constitutional Amendment to create a separate state.
'It is mind-boggling that a party can be in rigor mortis even after numerous electoral defeats,' observes Ramesh Menon.
The chairmen of the standing committees have a special status. They can summon any senior officer and convene a meeting at his or her will in any part of the country. The chairman can also take the committee to any state with prior intimation to have an on-the-spot study.
Ramanna was instrumental in several killings and attacks on security forces, including the 2010 Tadmetla massacre that claimed the lives of 76 troopers. He was also involved in the 2013 Naxal attack in Darbha valley where 29 people, including some senior Congress leaders and policemen, were killed.
Venkat Swamy, who served in the cabinets of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao and was also the member of Congress Working Committee, lashed out at Sonia, holding her responsible for the sliding fortunes of Congress part as well mounting corruption.
The party's research department team, which Rajya Sabha member M V Rajeev Gowda heads, has sifted through the suggestions received in the last five months, and the manifesto is slated to be released later this month, reports Archis Mohan.
Rumblings within Congress over its decision to form Telangana grew on Friday with its seven MPs, a state minister and seven MLAs from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions quitting amid indications that some more are likely to follow suit.
The Congress chief met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to chalk out a strategy on the controversial legislation. Vicky Nanjappa reports
A committee has been set up to finalise the capital for the region, which will consult both Union government and both the new state governments. Vicky Nanjappa reports
The much-awaited reshuffle of the Congress hierarchy, which took place today, saw the exit of veteran Arjun Singh and six others from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and two general secretaries Mohsina Kidwai and V Narayanasamy, who was recently made Minister of State in PMO.
'It is not just about numbers. Sometimes coalitions and alliances have symbolic value.'
The issue of missing files relating to coalgate paralysed proceedings in Parliament on Tuesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding an immediate response from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, even as the government said it will leave no stone unturned in tracing the documents.
Pressure mounted on the Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday to withdraw central security forces from Osmania University, the hotbed of Telangana agitation. Following the demand by Telangana Congress leaders that the central forces must be withdrawn and the alleged restrictions on the media at the OU be lifted, state Home Minister P Sabita Reddy on Sunday convened a meeting of the Congress leaders, top police officials and the varsity's peace committee.
The bill, named 'Shakti' and modelled on the Disha Act in Andhra Pradesh, also provides for completion of investigation and filing of chargesheet within 15 days, and completion of trial in 30 days.
In a major success for Telangana supporters, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to withdraw the cases booked against the agitators during the protests before the formation of the Srikrishna committee by the Centre.
Biju Janata Dal members had staged a walk-out while NDA ally Shiv Sena did not participate in the voting.
Congress Members of Legislative Assembly from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra on Monday decided to mount pressure on Members of Parliament from the regions to quit their posts and fight against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh.
Stepping in to defuse the Telangana crisis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said he understands the separate statehood demand and gave an assurance that the Centre will make all efforts to find a solution to the contentious issue soon.
The MLAs -- 10 from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, 2 from Congress, one each from Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam -- met Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy in Hyderabad and submitted their resignation. The legislators said they resigned in order to mount pressure on the Centre to take immediate steps for formation of a separate state.
Dr Sangam Prithviraj, who leads the students at the Osmania University in Hyderabad, says that they were foolish to trust TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and that now all students in all the 10 districts of Telangana will take the movement forward themselves.
'I wonder how people who come to power through democratic means turn out this way.' 'But people of India are strong, and those who think they can hoodwink people, are mistaken.' 'You can fool some people for some time, but not all people, all the time.'
'If the leadership gets wrong information, what results you can expect?'
After Sonia Gandhi's re-election as the party president today, the Congress is likely to take a decision on Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's suspension on disciplinary grounds.
Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met President Pranab Mukherjee and leaders of political parties in an attempt to find an amicable solution to the problem of division in New Delhi Andhra Pradesh and creation of Telangana state.
Till the other day, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) had made no secret of its opposition to foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. But the trade-union wing of the ruling Congress party at the Centre has now had a change of heart.
Condemning the raids, the TDP said it was "pure political vendetta" as Ramesh had been vociferously fighting for the state's causes in Parliament.
Finance Minister and Congress trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday took command of the consultations with Andhra Pradesh leaders to prepare the ground for the creation of Telangana, even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided against imposing President's rule in the troubled state after holding talks with Governor E S L Narasimhan. Assisting Mukherjee in the consultations are Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy and members of a core committee.
Congress is riven by four different approaches to an issue: the Sonia Gandhi way, the Rahul Gandhi method, Lok Sabha MPs' tactic, and Rajya Sabha MPs' style, reports R Rajagopalan.
Ministers and Congress MLAs from Rayalaseema raised a demand that the new capital of Andhra Pradesh be located in Rayalaseema region, implying Kurnool town.
In her letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi three days ago, Kidwai said she was relinquishing charge as party general secretary and Mahila Congress chief as he felt that Rahul Gandhi should be given the necessary space to bring in younger leaders of his choice
The steering committee of Congress leaders from Telangana on Monday appealed to Andhra Pradesh ministers from the region not to attend their official duties and party MPs to stay away from Parliament.
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