Politics

KCR bids to organise non-Congress opposition rally in Hyderabad

Published

1 month ago

February 22, 2023

Bharat Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao has renewed backchannel communication with parties for an April meeting in Hyderabad to work towards Opposition unity ahead of 2024 parliamentary elections.According to a leader involved in the exercise, KCR has invited Opposition parties for a meeting and rally in Hyderabad to signal formation of a rainbow alliance ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Those invited for the event include Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena faction’s Uddhav Thackeray, JDS’ HD Deve Gowda, DMK president MK Stalin, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan (CPI-M), JMM’s Hemant Soren, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. “While all political parties have shown keenness to come together on a common platform in Hyderabad, Mamata Banerjee has not revealed her mind,” the senior leader told ET. KCR is likely to initiate political meetings in New Delhi this week. The move comes amid Nitish Kumar’s remark that he was waiting for Congress’ signal to work for unifying the Opposition.

The parties are considering April 14, the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, for the public meeting. KCR has been working to cobble a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance since early 2022. The efforts have been ramped up since December. In January, Vijayan, Aam Aadmi party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Akhilesh Yadav and CPI general secretary D Raja attended KCR’s massive public rally in Khammam. The larger messaging of the planned unity show is also internal as Telangana is slated for elections later this year. KCR has been trying to woo socio-economically backward classes through various development schemes.

KCR and Banerjee had spearheaded efforts to forge a federal front in 2018, a year before the 2019 parliamentary elections. A ‘United India’ rally was organised by Banerjee in Kolkata’s Parade Ground in January 2019. It was attended by all major Opposition parties. However, no formal alliance was there in the parliamentary elections that followed months later. A senior Opposition party leader said, “the problem with KCR’s efforts has always been a lack of consistency and his insistence of keeping Congress out of such talks. There is a divide among Opposition parties on whether Congress should be excluded so proactively.”

Source link

Up Next

Congress panel pitches for SC-ST quota in judiciary, private sector

Don't Miss

We have seen RS Chairman sending complaint to Privilege Committee for the first time, says Sitaram Yechury

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Politics

BJP plans campaign against Rahul Gandhi’s ‘insult to backwards’

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2023

ironity

New Delhi: The BJP has planned a campaign from April 6-14 to highlight Congress leader Rahul Gandhi‘s disqualification from the Lok Sabha as a decision stemming from his “insult to OBCs (other backward classes)” and the work done by the Modi government for the community.On Tuesday, the BJP’s OBC members from both Houses took out a march from Parliament complex to Vijay Chowk protesting against Gandhi’s comments on the “Modi surname“, which led to his disqualification, and demanded an apology.

Union minister Smriti Irani, who defeated Gandhi in the 2019 general election from Amethi, termed his refusal to apologise to the OBC community for his “indecent” comments yet another “manifestation of the Gandhi family’s political arrogance”.

Source link

Politics

As Rahul Gandhi decides to move out, Mallikarjun Kharge offers his residence

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2023

ironity

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi formally informed the authorities on Tuesday that he will comply with the directive to vacate his official bungalow on 12, Tughlaq lane following his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha after his court conviction. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge suggested Gandhi could stay at his mother Sonia Gandhi‘s 10 Janpath official residence or else move to Kharge’s Rajaji Marg official residence.

Within a day after he received the official directive, Gandhi wrote back to the concerned official of the Lok Sabha secretariat. “As an elected member of the Lok Sabha over the last 4 terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here. Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course , abide by the details contained in your letter.” Gandhi has one month to vacate the house and his letter meant he was not seeking an extended stay there.

Kharge lashed out at the government for asking Gandhi even as he made his own suggestion and offer. “He can go and live with his mother or he can come to me, I will vacate one (his official residence) for him,” he said.

Source link

Politics

Savarkar row: Congress to tone down attack after Sharad Pawar’s intervention

Published

8 hours ago

March 28, 2023

ironity

New Delhi: Amid strains in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi alliance over Rahul Gandhi’s strident criticism of V D Savarkar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has stepped in to play the peacemaker by conveying Shiv Sena’s concerns on the issue to the Congress leadership. Opposition leaders said Congress has agreed to tone down its criticism of Savarkar, which has led to an unease in the NCP and the Shiv Sena (UBT), its alliance partners in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said he had raised the Savarkar issue in his talks with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and MVA partners are on the same page on this matter.

“MVA alliance is intact. If anyone thinks the MVA will break apart, they are wrong,” Raut told reporters here.

Gandhi is learnt to have assured Raut he would avoid any critical reference to Savarkar. Pawar raised the issue during a meeting of opposition leaders convened by Kharge on Monday and made it clear that targeting Savarkar, a revered figure in Maharashtra, would not help MVA, two leaders who attended the meeting told PTI.

Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were present at the meeting.

“Almost all opposition leaders were of the view that there was no need to rake up the Savarkar issue. We have to decide whether we have to fight Modi or Savarkar and not create confusion,” Raut said after a meeting of parliamentarians owing allegiance to the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena. Pawar also told Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar was never a member of the RSS and underscored that the real fight of the opposition parties was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP.

Opposition leaders said Rahul told the meeting that the Savarkar issue was an ideological position.

Leaders of Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi also reached out to the Thackeray faction Shiv Sena.

As the BJP stepped up attack on Rahul Gandhi and sought his apology for “maligning” India on his recent visit to the UK, the former Lok Sabha member from Wayanad said at a press conference on Saturday that he was not Savarkar and would not apologise.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed Rahul Gandhi for his attack on Savarkar and said his outfit will not tolerate any insult of the freedom fighter.

The Thackeray faction had skipped the meeting convened by Kharge as a mark of protest against Gandhi’s remarks targeting Savarkar.

Source link