The Congress vice president has taken up the daunting task of bringing in a sea change in the working of the party, but also faces opposition from some old guards and regional satraps, notes Anita Katyal.
A day after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi backed Manmohan Singh's candidature for prime ministership after the Lok Sabha polls, two United Progressive Alliance allies on Sunday said that they would not be averse to accepting the top job if given a chance."Right now, we have Manmohan Singh as the leader. But in case Sharad Pawar gets a chance or Mulayam Singh gets a chance, they will not oppose each other," Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh said.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will kick off the Karnataka leg of his Discover India trip on March 25. During his four-day visit, Rahul's main agenda would be to lure the youth into joining the Congress, according to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Mallikarjuna Kharge.Rahul will start his road show from Chamrajnagar on March 25. He would then travel to H D Kote, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot, Almatti and Raichur.
With six days to go for state assembly polls in Punjab, political parties have intensified their campaign in the state. The outgoing ruling alliance of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Bhartiya Janata Party is banking on Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and L K Advani to regain the power in the state.
If Priyanka Gandhi does take a plunge into electoral politics as demanded by the Congress rank and file, it will tantamount to an admission that Rahul Gandhi lacks the necessary qualities to take on Narendra Modi. On the other hand, the Congress also needs to change the political discourse in its favour, notes Anita Katyal.
Congress party's general secretary Rahul Gandhi kicked off his Discover India journey on Friday from tribal Nuapada district of Orissa, as part of the Congress strategy to reach out to the 'last man in society'. Sans any road show, the much-hyped four-day tour of Orissa began with a visit to a watershed programme at Nangalbod village where Rahul interacted with farmers, women and members of self help groups. Gandhi is scheduled to criss-cross 13 of the 30 districts.
Veteran Congress leader N D Tiwari on Sunday virtually questioned party general secretary Rahul Gandhi's potential to emerge as India's future prime minister.
A party without a 'high command' would be 'anarchy,' he said.
Glimpses from around the world that will make you smile and cry.
The police baton-charged and detained several Congress leaders and workers on Thursday, including Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, during a statewide protest against the arrest of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Taking a cue from the Mantralaya fire in Mumbai, the administration has taken several steps to secure the 92-year old Parliament House building from such an untoward incident.
"Had the UP government honestly implemented the Centrally-sponsored schemes, the situation would have been different," Gandhi said. He said the state government should immediately set its priority for the Bundelkhand region as any further delay could lead to a catastrophe.
The Congress leader also said that the BJP wants to change the Constitution, and reduce and weaken the rights given to the people through the statute book.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the leaders and party workers to bury their internal differences and ensure victory of Congress candidates in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections.
Sources said Sidhu's resignation has not been received by the party and its leadership will take a call once it reaches them.
Apparently trying to inject a sense of urgency into the preparations for next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi is eyeing to rope in Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi as "a leader for the Games".
The nation on Saturday remembered former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 94th birth anniversary with President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari among prominent personalities who paid rich tributes to the leader.
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.
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.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today said that he was concerned over the logjam in the wake of Anna Hazare's agitation against corruption.
Kanyakumari is the tip of India and will convey the symbol that from the tip of India, the Congress is on its way up.
The Congress on Sunday called for fixing accountability over the death of three IAS aspirants due to waterlogging in a building in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi asserting that common people are paying the price for irresponsibility of institutions at every level.
Every young diploma and degree holder in the country will have the right to apprenticeships in the private and government sectors, he said.
Hope is running high among the business community in Kashmir as captains of India's corporate world assemble in Srinagar on Friday on Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's initiative to interact with the students of Kashmir University
Congress leaders accused the government of "murdering democracy" after police stopped them from reaching the Red Fort to start their 'Loktantra Bachao Mashal Shanti March' at 7 pm.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres are said to be upset over AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi not calling on party patriarch and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, a practice followed by Congress leaders during their visit to Tamil Nadu.
In a frontal attack on the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, the Congress on Saturday pointedly blamed the Mayawati government for the prevailing backwardness and poverty in Bundelkhand area.
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.
In a major organisational rejig ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Saturday appointed Avinash Pande the general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, replacing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while Sachin Pilot was made the general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday stepped up its protest against Rahul Gandhi for his 'panauti' jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged the Election Commission to take action against the Congress leader.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane for calling Kerala a "mini Pakistan", saying the remark is "highly provocative and condemnable". Vijayan said Rane's comments expose the Sangh Parivar's approach towards Kerala, which he said involves alienating and spreading hate campaigns against the state. He also criticised the leadership of the ruling party for not reacting to Rane's "serious breach of oath". Vijayan called for all democratic and secular forces to unite against the Sangh Parivar's "hateful propaganda".
He said Priyanka could have been a wonderful candidate in Varanasi as well, especially looking at how good the Congress candidate did against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi appears to be really needling the opposition.
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who had accompanied local MP and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, on a day's visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi on Tuesday, returned to New Delhi on Wednesday.
Taking a jibe at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is just not a national leader but an 'international leader' and can contest election in Italy also.
To highlight alleged misgovernance by the present regime, its first nationwide campaign ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
'That would be very bad for them and suicidal for both the Gandhis and the Congress party.'
'"My Modi is in the role of Lord Ram and Congress president Rahul Gandhi is Ravana and his sister Priyanka Surpanakha'
Rahul Gandhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party sparred today with the Congress leader reminding it that while in opposition his party had supported the ruling National Democratic Alliance on the Kargil issue but with roles reversed, it was not reciprocating on national issues.
MP Congress Committee's media department chairperson KK Mishra in a statement claimed it was a doctored video.
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