Rahul Gandhi is 'No. 2' in Congress but no definite date or time has been fixed for his assuming a larger role in the party, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said on Tuesday. "I am not aware of a definite date and time," he told reporters when asked about the speculation that Rahul would be made secretary general of the organisation.
Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a conversation with Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com, later backtracked from his statements to claim that he was quoted out of context.
Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi was given charge of youth affairs and the National Students Union of India, the Congress students body.
Has the generational shift being witnessed in the Congress after Rahul assumed greater responsibilities disturbed the status quo in the party? If Janardan Dwivedi's recent interviews are any indication, these voices of dissent could get louder in the coming days. Rediff.com's Anita Katyal reports
In a move signalling his larger role in the party, Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday made the head of the Congress coordination committee for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi's much-anticipated public rally in Uttarakhand, the first after she underwent a surgery abroad, was cancelled on Wednesday owing to her indisposition.
Amid demands by the Samajwadi Party for his dismissal from the government, Congress on Monday pulled up Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma for his remarks against Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Former union parliamentary affairs minister Matang Singh has been re-inducted into the Congress with immediate effect, said All India Congress Committee General Secretary Singh on Saturday. However, Janardan Dwivedi, AICC media in-charge, has denied this claim.
Congress chief spokesman and general secretary Janardan Dwivedi on Tuesday scoffed at media reports that the Congress Working Committee meeting called on June 4 will decide the party's presidential candidate.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the swearing-in of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata on Friday.
Congress on Thursday disapproved of Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma's controversial remarks daring the Election Commission to issue a notice to him over his statement on sub-quota for minorities.
Snubbing leaders like Digvijay Singh, who have spoken on the Bhopal gas issue, the Congress on Tuesday virtually told them not to poke their nose in others' affairs.
The Congress on Tuesday rejected the Central Information Commission order on bringing political parties under the Right to Information ambit, contending that such "adventurist" approach would harm democratic institutions.
The Congress on Saturday hinted that declaration of Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate cannot be ruled out, dismissing as "personal opinion" certain comments of senior leader Digvijay Singh in this regard.
The Congress party on Thursday disapproved of Salman Khurshid's controversial remarks daring Arvind Kejriwal to protest in his constituency, as the activist saw it as a murder threat and accused the law minister of acting like a mafia don
Dismissing suggestions that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's idea of giving constitutional status to Lokpal Bill was a delaying tactic by the Congress, the ruling party made it clear that it was for the collective wisdom of the Standing Committee and Parliament to accept the proposal.
Congress o Tuesday sought to take some credit for Samajwadi Party's victory in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, saying Rahul Gandhi had made "immense contribution" to creating atmosphere against the "misrule" of Mayawati which benefited Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Union Minister Charan Das Mahant was on Monday appointed the acting Pradesh Congress Committee president of poll-bound Chhattisgarh, a week after senior party leaders in the state including PCC Chief Nand Kumar Patel were killed in a Naxal attack.
Rashid Alvi was dropped as the Congress spokesperson with the All India Congress Committee on Sunday bringing in a new team of eight spokespersons, retaining existing three and inducting five fresh faces.
Facing flak from Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar over his controversial Hindu terror remarks, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Wednesday said he fully endorses Congress party's stand that there was no colour to terrorism.
Gandhi has expressed "deep pain and anguish" over what has happened in Uttar Pradesh, All India Congress Committee general secretary Janardan Dwivedi quoted her as saying. Dwivdei told media-persons that the party regrets the personal elements in reference to Chief Minister Mayawati in Joshi's remarks.
The Congress on Tuesday removed Amarinder Singh as its Punjab unit chief in the backdrop of the party's dismal show in assembly elections last year and appointed MP Pratap Singh Bajwa in his place.
Congress' Samvad Baithak (conclave meeting) at Surajkunad on Friday was a closed door affair, with no scope of any media coverage. Our correspondent in New Delhi gets you the exclusive buzz of what transpired at the meet.
Adopting a combative approach over the controversy on The Associated Journals issue, the Congress on Saturday said it has discharged its "political dharma" and was ready to contest any challenge in any fora for giving a loan to support the National Herald. Party General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi also launched a hard-hitting attack on Janta Party chief Subramanian Swamy and the Bharatiya Janata Party for carrying out a "propaganda of lie" and "distorting" facts.
The Congress on Friday brought back Abhishek Manu Singhvi, its former spokesman mired in a controversial CD row, as one of the leaders to put forward the party view in the electronic media
Talking to reporters, AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said that Congress-ruled states have been told to increase supply of subsidised cylinders from 6 to 9 per household annually.
While the Congress has not lost all hopes on ties with Trinamool Congress which announced the decision to withdraw from UPA, other parties like Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal-United blamed the government for putting itself in an embarrassing position.
Former Union Minister Rasheed Masood was on Monday made special invitee to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect. The announcement was made by party General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi.
Party president Sonia Gandhi nominated Mukut Mithi (Arunachal Pradesh), Peerzada Sayeed (Jammu and Kashmir), Prabha Rau (Maharashtra), B D Kalla (Rajasthan) and Salman Khurshid (Uttar Pradesh).\n\n
Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma, in the line of fire for his controversial remarks against Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Tuesday skipped a key meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party after he was snubbed over it.
The Congress on Saturday submitted its suggestions on stringent laws for crimes against women to Justice J S Verma Committee even as it disfavoured chemical castration of rapists.
With his comments on burnt bodies and rape of women in Greater Noida villages triggering a major controversy, the Congress on Wednesday initiated a damage- control exercise saying Rahul Gandhi did not say that 74 persons have been killed there.
As Public Accounts Committee descended into chaos, the Congress on Thursday backed the "rejection" of the draft report on 2G scam by a majority of members of Parliament on the panel and held its Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi and Bharatiya Janata Party squarely responsible for the document containing "blatant falsehoods".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address a rally on October 28 as part of Congress' strategy to counter the Opposition offensive against on FDI in multi-brand retail and other reform measures of UPA government.
United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi is said to be travelling abroad for a routine checkup in connection with her treatment.
Otherwise detractors, Congress general secretary Ahmad Patel and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit appeared to team up to keep Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Salman Khurshid out of Delhi.
In an hour-long meeting held on Tuesday evening, All India Congress Committee general secretary Janardan Dwivedi reportedly warned Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor that his various controversial statements were proving to be an embarrassment for both the party and the government. Sources in the party say that Tharoor defended himself on the use of the word 'interlocutor' in the context of India seeking Saudi Arabia's help.
The Congress on Monday supported Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's statements for a "reasoned debate" on the Lokpal Bill and that there is a "lot of scope for give and take" on the issue.
The brainstorming session (chintan shivir) of the Congress will be held in Jaipur from January 18 to 20 to discuss political and economic situations and seek new ideas ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.
A year after the Congress party president first travelled abroad for medical treatment, sources familiar with the medical team treating her at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Hospital said Mrs Gandhi is fully cured of cancer.