'He worked over time to become the natural claimant,' a senior UDF leader observed. 'Others had organisational stature, but Satheesan had momentum.' For the Congress, it may signal the beginning of a new leadership template -- one where performance, communication and grassroots credibility increasingly outweigh inherited power structures in deciding who leads the party into its next phase.
Preparations are complete in Bengaluru for the swearing-in ceremony of D K Shivakumar as Karnataka's Chief Minister. Security and traffic arrangements are in place to manage the event.
Congress general secretary and party youth icon Rahul Gandhi kick started the United Democratic Front election campaign by addressing the Kerala Raksha march conducted by the state party president Ramesh Chennithala. In his speech, he called upon senior party leaders to start a package for Keralites who are suffering after the global crisis hit the Gulf region which has led to several people from the state returning home.
The death of a Dalit girl in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, has ignited a political controversy as opposition parties demand justice and action against officials. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav plans to visit the girl's family, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state.
'There was COVID-19 for two years. Nobody met anyone during that period of time. Even before he resigned from his post in the organization, he used to tell us to meet General Secretary for organization-related work'
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Bombay high court order dismissing his plea for quashing a defamation case against him for allegedly blaming Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
'This plan was never official. It was there secretly. It was by the high command.'
If sheer attendance at their respective rallies were to be the criterion, Rahul Gandhi clearly stole the show over the Bahujan Samaj Party in Ambedkarnagar.
The Congress on Wednesday expelled former Madhya Pradesh MLA Laxman Singh, who is brother of ex-chief minister Digvijaya Singh, from the primary membership of the party for six years for 'anti-party activities'.
One of the standout stories of the TVK victory was that of 30-year-old R Sabarinathan, the son of Vijay's driver from Virugambakkam.
Backing Centre's decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said the decision will help farmers prosper by removing middlemen from the supply chain and generate new jobs.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate, V D Satheesan, has announced his new ministerial team, emphasising social and regional balance within the coalition. Senior leaders like Ramesh Chennithala and K Muraleedharan are set to be inducted, with Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan nominated as Speaker.
Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar clarifies his political affiliations, identifying as a Gandhian, Nehruvian, and Rajivian, while explaining his distance from Rahul Gandhi's political approach and his disapproval of Indira Gandhi's Emergency declaration.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday ruled out the possibility of his party supporting the Third Front to form the government.
He is learnt to have discussed the formulation of a joint opposition strategy on the issue of Lakhimpur Kheri violence and the detention of prominent leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accuses the NDA of plotting to steal the Bihar assembly elections, alleging collusion with the Election Commission and voter roll manipulation.
In a major breach in Rahul Gandhi's security, a youth armed with a country-made pistol and standing close to the Congress general secretary was detained on Wednesday night at Kasna police station.
"It was wrong of Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to express their solidarity with these JNU leaders and therefore I have filed a case of sedition against them," adds Goud.
The growing clamour in the Congress to project Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as the party's chief ministerial candidate in the year-end assembly election in Madhya Pradesh has upset high-profile All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijaya Singh, reports Anita Katyal.
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'.
On Gandhi, Obama says he has 'a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who'd done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject', according to The New York Times review.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of failing to uphold the 'one man, one vote' principle, citing irregularities in voter lists. He claims the issue is widespread and systematic, with the opposition protesting the Election Commission's voter roll revision in Bihar.
The Congress party has accused the government of stifling opposition voices in the Lok Sabha, alleging that opposition leaders are not being allowed to express their views while the government side faces no such restrictions.
'Unfortunately the treasury is empty, in zero. So we have to first make money for the development activities of the state, and also to continue the welfare measures.'
The BJP has criticised the Congress party for allegedly prioritising its vote bank and outdated ideologies over India's national interest and citizen safety in its foreign policy approach towards Iran.
Already, within the week of the election results it became apparent that the Congress' DNA has not changed from its traditional approach to politics as but a game of thrones, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with the families of victims of violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, and offered them all possible help to ensure justice. The incident in Sambhal, which resulted in four deaths, occurred during a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque on November 24. The Congress blamed the violence on the BJP's hate politics, while the Uttar Pradesh government had earlier denied permission for Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi to visit the victims' families.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it had filed a chargesheet on April 9 in a money laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. Apart from Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the chargesheet also names senior Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey as co-accused.
TVK's chances of forming a government in Tamil Nadu are uncertain as it seeks support from Left parties and VCK after winning its maiden Assembly election. The Left parties are deliberating, while VCK will announce its decision on Saturday, adding suspense to the political situation.
The BJP and the Opposition have engaged in a war of words over the implementation of the women's reservation bill, which aims to reserve seats for women in legislatures. The bill was defeated in the Lower House, leading to accusations and counter-accusations between the parties.
A fourth AIADMK MLA, Esakki Subaya, has resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly and is seen with TVK leaders, following three other rebel MLAs who also quit and joined the ruling TVK. This move has sparked strong accusations of 'horse-trading' from the AIADMK and Congress, while the Speaker insists he is acting within legal frameworks.
Rahul Gandhi, the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, says that he will value all the experience he has gained during his tour of Karnataka. Gandhi, who landed in Hubli on Wednesday as part of his five-day Karnataka tour, said before meeting with Youth Congress workers that his tour had been very fruitful and he had gained a lot of experience.
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
The Congress party's delay in naming the next Chief Minister of Kerala has drawn criticism, particularly from key ally IUML, which warns of potential political fallout from the prolonged uncertainty.
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of following similar political approaches to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a tacit understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
A rare meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held at 24 Akbar Road but after several hours of deliberations, Congress President Sonia Gandhi failed to put forward a road map for the party's revival or how to broaden the party's shrinking voter base. Instead, Gandhi focused much of her opening remarks on laying out a critique of the Narendra Modi government.
Jaishankar said that Rahul Gandhi's lies damage India at an international level.
A forum of swamijis has urged the Congress high command to immediately appoint D K Shivakumar as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, warning of consequences if the demand is not met.
Madhusudan Mistry, Congress general secretary, spoke to in an exclusive interview to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt as soon as Congress crossed majority mark in Karnataka. At the end of the interview, Mistry insisted that his criticism of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should be carried as it is.
