Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana were marred by allegations of cross-voting and 'horse trading', leading to suspensions and warnings from the Congress party.
Gehlot had on Wednesday refused to deliver the address to the Karnataka legislature, leading to a stalemate over the fate of the customary speech that outlines the government's policies.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday reiterated that he will abide by the Congress high command's decision on the leadership change issue in the state.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and Congress leader B K Hariprasad have raised concerns about the RSS not being a registered organization and questioned the sources of its funding, alleging that this lack of registration allows the RSS to evade government regulations. BJP leaders have defended the RSS, stating that registration is not mandatory for all organizations.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar offered to apologize if anyone was hurt over his rendition of the RSS' prayer song in the state assembly. He reaffirmed his loyalty to the Congress party.
64-year-old Hariprasad is a Congress member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the family of Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, on Tuesday. Gandhi reached Karnal in Haryana in the afternoon and was accompanied by Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda. The Congress party posted on X that Gandhi would meet the family of the Navy officer who was martyred in the Pahalgam terror attack.
The BJP has vehemently criticized the Karnataka government's decision to provide four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, labeling it an "unconstitutional misadventure." The party has pledged to challenge the move in court and has vowed to oppose it at all levels. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress party has defended the reservation, arguing that it aligns with constitutional provisions. The issue has led to heated exchanges in the Karnataka Assembly, with both parties accusing each other of engaging in appeasement politics.
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Thursday promised that LPG cylinders will be provided in Jharkhand at a subsidised rate of Rs 450 even for 'infiltrators', sparking a political row in the midst of assembly elections in the eastern state.
'The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra'
Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad's statements regarding ministerial and chief ministerial posts, along with his veiled dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seems to have created a sense of unease within the ruling party in Karnataka.
'We try to connect people, but they disconnect people.'
"If the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report proves that the slogan raised in favour of Pakistan is true, serious action will be taken in this regard. There is no question of protecting those who raised slogans in favour of Pakistan," the Chief Minister told reporters.
Here is a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the two aspiring CMs.
Amid speculation that he has been asked to come to the national capital by the high command, he said: "I have not received any call yet. Let's see."
Both of them said, the legislature party meeting has been called, most probably on Thursday, as part of a routine exercise to discuss various programmes and policies of the government, and to ensure coordination between government and party MLAs.
With the Bihar government releasing the findings of its caste survey, pressure seems to be mounting on the Karnataka government, especially within the ruling Congress, to make the state's Socio-economic and Educational Census, popularly known as the 'caste census', public.
Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna on Saturday floated the idea of having three more Deputy Chief Ministers in Karnataka, and said he will discuss it with the Congress high command, keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Siddaramaiah's anti-urban bias, which he does not bother to hide, may become the Congress government's biggest weakness unless it is corrected.
Legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and also transfers (of Government servants) as requested, and have expressed unhappiness regarding Ministers, alleging non-cooperation.
Multiple challenges, particularly with regard to cabinet formation, stare at Siddaramaiah as he takes over as the new chief minister of Karnataka, nudging out party colleague and state Congress president D K Shivakumar -- who will now be his deputy.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday held consultations with senior party leaders, including A K Antony, as talks for an alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for the next Lok Sabha polls and formation of a coalition government in Jharkhand reached the final stage.
Laxman Singh, younger brother of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, officially returned to the Congress fold at party headquarters in New Delhi.
Hitting back at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Thursday said his "gimmicks" would not work in Karnataka in the May 5 assembly polls.
The Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Thursday inched closer to government formation in Jharkhand, with Hemant Soren holding a long meeting with All India Congress Committee general secretary B K Hariprasad, who is in-charge of Jharkhand affairs.
The 'Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill' was passed by the Legislative Assembly in December last.
It was a comedy of errors on Tuesday that saw Congress's vocal leader Digvijay Singh being 'stripped of' the key charge of Uttar Pradesh and Assam and only retained as party general secretary.
Expressing surprise over Congress fielding a second candidate 'all of a sudden', senior JD-S leader and former Minister H D Revanna requested the national party for support to keep the 'communal forces' out of the race.
The Congress on Monday downplayed its defeat in Hisar Lok Sabha by-polls saying it had not won the seat even during the last elections and dismissed the contention that the result betrayed the effect of Team Anna's call to people not to vote for its candidate over the Lokpal issue.
India has expressed its reservations about making an 'unqualified endorsement' on the findings and recommendations of the Goldstone report at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly. "We have reservations in making unqualified endorsement of the various recommendations as well as some of the procedures adopted by the Goldstone report, including the involvement of the International Criminal Court and that of the Security Council," MP B K Hariprasad said.
Stepping up its attack on Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare-led civil society, Congress on Wednseday dubbed the yoga guru as a 'king of black money' and Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde as a 'Bharatiya Janata Party man'.
The Congress is on a comeback trail in Bihar, B K Hariprasad, the chairman of the party's screening committee for the state elections, tells Saubhadra Chatterji
Jha will contest against National democratic Alliance's nominee Harivansh of the Janata Dal-United.
Rahul Gandhi's name does not figure for any organisational post.
The Congress and the NCP on Sunday decided to jointly fight the coming assembly elections in Gujarat in December. Leaders of the two parties met in Ahmedabad to finalise the alliance and seat-sharing arrangement.
The rebel group was represented by former chief minister Suresh Mehta, Member of Parliament Vallabh Kathiria and suspended legislator Gordhan Zadafia, sources in the rebel group said. From the Congress, three senior leaders, Vyalar Ravi, Prithviraj Chauhan and B K Hariprasad were present in the meeting, sources further said.
'People of the state who bless me will give a befitting replay to the Congress.'
An interview with B K Hariprasad, Congress general secretary incharge of Gujarat.
JD-U MP Harivansh filed his nomination as the ruling NDA candidate to the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman's post and is likely to be elected, even as the Opposition is working to field a joint candidate against him to force a contest.
Congress on Wednesday said it was not averse to a tie up with the Nationalist Congress Party in the forthcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.
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