Rahul Gandhi's aggressive street politics is giving him a fresh political edge, but overplaying his role could hurt his credibility with the wider opposition, predicts M R Narayan Swamy.
Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, the party said in a statement.
Police in Wayanad, Kerala, have registered a case after posters targeting Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge appeared on the walls of the Congress office and nearby areas. The posters also threatened that Vadra would be defeated in the next election, warning that "Wayanad will become the next Amethi".
Lack of organisational network and a strong disconnect with the rural population led to the Congress president's defeat in what until now had been described as a party stronghold.
On speculations of Priyanka Gandhi contesting in the 2024 election, Rai said that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from wherever she wants to.
Amid criticism that the Congress had given a walkover to Irani in Amethi, sources said, the party in its wisdom believed that Rae Bareli's historical, emotional and electoral importance for the Gandhi family was higher than that of Amethi.
Rahul Gandhi was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019 elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the family of Shubham Dwivedi, one of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, and called for a special session of Parliament to ensure justice for the victims. Gandhi, along with the opposition, has demanded the government take strict action against the terrorists and provide justice to the bereaved families. He met with Dwivedi's family in Kanpur and expressed his condolences, emphasizing the need for a united front against terrorism. The Congress has also issued statements calling for a strong response to the attack and demanding accountability for the perpetrators.
Walking around Amethi barely gives the feel of a VVIP constituency. Could years of neglect cost the Gandhi Parivar its bastion? Sharat Pradhan finds out.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting 'Melody' toffees to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, calling it a 'gimmick' while India faces an 'economic storm'. He accused Modi of prioritising public relations over addressing the struggles of farmers, labourers, and youth, a sentiment echoed by other Congress leaders.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
He will stay in Amethi for two days and will address at least three public meetings in Jagadishpur, Tiloi and Gauriganj assembly segments.
On a tour of his parliamentary constituency Amethi on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had his vehicle intercepted by an unexpected quarter -- two sisters who had come all the way from Lucknow to narrate their woes to the Congress leader. When the Congress general secretary was on his way to Sarvan village, two sisters Sonia and Shivani intercepted his car and told him about the harassment at the hands of their uncles after the death of their parents.
Rahul Gandhi interacted with party workers over 'laiyya-chana' - a staple snack in this part of Uttar Pradesh.
Missing persons posters featuring Rahul Gandhi's image pop up in Amethi.
Several prominent BJP leaders, including former Union minister Smriti Irani, RSS veteran Ram Madhav, and former chief ministers Biplab Kumar Deb and Tirath Singh Rawat, have been reinstated into significant roles within the party's national team. This reshuffle marks a political recovery for many who had previously seen their influence wane or lost electoral battles, positioning them for key organisational responsibilities ahead of upcoming elections.
An MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Wednesday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on July 2 in a defamation case filed against him for alleged objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The BJP has announced its new national organisational team, with eight leaders from Uttar Pradesh receiving key appointments. These include two national vice-presidents, two general secretaries, two secretaries, and the chiefs of the OBC and Minority Morchas. The appointments reflect a strategic focus on youth, social diversity, and experienced campaigners, particularly after the party's recent electoral setbacks in the state.
Without making two-thirds of the country's population a development partner, India's prosperity is impossible, the Congress leader added.
The decision on Rahul Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was made after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to cut short his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh by skipping western part of the state and saving five days, a party leader said on Monday while citing board exams.
"I am MP of Amethi first and its people are most important for me," Rahul Gandhi said on his first visit to his Lok Sabha constituency after being elevated as Congress vice president.
In what was seen as a huge surprise for his constituents, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit his parliamentary constituency of Amethi with Microsoft chief Bill Gates. The visit was kept a closely guarded secret until the news broke out late on Monday evening.
"Now, Rahul Gandhi calls the entire OBC community thieves. He gets flak in the courts but he refuses to apologise thus showing how deep-rooted his hatred for OBCs is. The people of India did not forgive him in 2019. In 2024 the punishment will be more severe," he said.
Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday.
The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' remark.
'If the Congress loses this time, Rahul Gandhi will not look back at Amethi ever again.'
Amit Malviya paid the price because he committed the cardinal mistake of himself 'becoming' the BJP's IT Cell and its social media. Malviya's removal contains a message to others -- never try to become bigger than the job that has been assigned, explains Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Anger cannot be an end in itself to Rahul Gandhi's politics -- it must instead catalyse a new political strategy, argues Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Irani said that Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Raebareli is a "victory" for the people in Amethi.
Amid intense speculation over whether he would contest the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he would abide by his party's decision on it.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday indicated his party could field a candidate in the next election from the high-profile Amethi seat, which it used to leave for the Congress.
Ending days of suspense, the Congress on Friday announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades, and Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, will fight from Amethi.
'I have always been a 'sevak' of the Gandhi family and whatever responsibility the Gandhi family has entrusted to its sevak, I will fulfil it'
Rahul is contesting from the seat in Kerala in addition to his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the "champion of corruption".
The last time a non-Gandhi was in the fray from the constituency was in 1998, when Satish Sharma, a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, contested the polls but lost to the BJP's Sanjaya Sinh.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas on Thursday slammed Rahul Gandhi for his remark that his father Rajiv Gandhi was being denied justice, saying it was a "drama" to divert people's attention from core issues like corruption.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed the electoral bonds as the 'world's biggest extortion scheme' and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the 'champion of corruption'.
"The first thing is he is not fit for politics. Probably, the work he should not do, he is doing," Sarma said.
