Politics

“My innings could conclude with Bharat Jodo Yatra…” Sonia Gandhi at Congress plenary session

Published

1 month ago

February 25, 2023

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said she was glad that her innings could conclude with the party’s mass outreach programme ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra‘ while describing the march as “a turning point” for the party.The 85th plenary session of the Congress party began on Friday in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Addressing the gathering on the second day of Congress’ three-day brainstorming session here, Sonia Gandhi said, “Our victories in 2004 and 2009 along with the able leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh gave me personal satisfaction but what gratifies me most is that my innings could conclude with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a turning point for Congress.”

The former Congress chief accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre of subverting every institution in the country.”This is a challenging time for Congress and the country as a whole. BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have captured and subverted every single institution in the country. It ruthlessly silences any voice of Opposition. It has caused economic ruin by favouring a few businessmen,” added the Rae Bareli MP in a veiled attack on Centre amid the row over Hindenburg’s report on the Adani group.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra traversed 12 states and two Union territories in 145 days after its launch on September 7 last year and covered 4,080 km.

The yatra culminated with an event at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar and a mega rally on January 30.Congress claimed that Bharat Jodo Yatra was the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India. The party said it received support from various political parties and social organizations across the country.

Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held last year and the Yatra was seen as an attempt to encourage the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles.

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also addressed the session on Saturday.

Addressing the plenary session of the party, Kharge said, “We will face all challenges in the country. Bharat Jodo yatra was like sunshine for the nation. Thousands joined hands with Rahul Gandhi and proved that Congress is still in their hearts. Rahul inspired youth.”

“To stop this Plenary Session, BJP conducted a raid on party workers’ residents. They arrested our workers. But we faced them and held this session,” added the Congress chief.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Raipur to attend the 85th plenary session of the party. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received Priyanka Gandhi at the airport.

Congress workers laid flower petals on the street to welcome party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders in Raipur on Saturday for the 85th plenary session.

The plenary will on Saturday also discuss resolutions including political and economic ones.Former party chief Rahul Gandhi will address the plenary on February 26.

A meeting of the steering committee was held on Friday to decide the agenda of the plenary session.

The Steering Committee of Congress met on Friday morning and decided to go for nomination members to Congress Working Committee (CWC) in view of the challenges faced by the party and the proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.

There was some speculation that Congress may opt for elections to CWC, a demand that has been raised from time to time by sections in the party. CWC is the highest-decision-making body of Congress.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said 16 articles and 32 rules are proposed to be amended and an important amendment was to provide 50 per cent reservation in the working committee for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and youth below the age of 50.

The party is likely to amend the constitution to confer party leaders who have been Prime Ministers and party chiefs permanence in the CWC.

Source link

Up Next

Property tax will be implemented in consultation with public: J-K LG Manoj Sinha

Don't Miss

“Apne baap ka samman nahi kar paye ho”: Yogi Adityanath lashes out at Akhilesh in UP Assembly

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

AAP posters against PM Modi; raises slogan like “Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao”

Published

9 hours ago

March 31, 2023

ironity

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a nationwide poster campaign with slogans like “Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao” in 22 states, said AAP’s state convener Gopal Rai on Thursday.Gopal Rai also alleged at a press conference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaged in ending the country’s democratic systems instead of fixing the education-health system and removing unemployment.

Posters in Hindi, English and all other regional languages are being put up in 22 states across the country. Rai said that from April 10, similar posters would be put up at universities across the nation to make students aware about the campaign.

Source link

Politics

HC disqualifies JDS D C Gowrishankar Swamy legislator

Published

9 hours ago

March 31, 2023

ironity

JDS MLA from Tumakuru Rural constituency in Karnataka D C Gowrishankar Swamy was disqualified by the High Court of Karnataka on Thursday in a case relating to alleged electoral malpractice. The Court, however, kept the disqualification in suspension for one month, allowing Swamy to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. A single-judge bench of the high court was delivering its verdict on a petition filed by defeated BJP candidate B Suresh Gowda, which alleged electoral malpractice by Swamy for distributing fake insurance bonds to voters during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election.

Source link

Politics

BJP steps up OBC outreach to sway Nitish Kumar’s Luv-Kush base

Published

9 hours ago

March 31, 2023

ironity

The BJP has upped its game in Bihar by stepping up its OBC outreach, especially among Kushwahas, one of the two castes of Nitish Kumar‘s Luv-Kush vote base, and has appointed PM Modi’s key aides to look after its work in the state.The BJP is going to celebrate Emperor Ashok’s birth anniversary on April 2 in Sasaram, which will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This comes days after BJP appointed Samrat Choudhary as its Bihar unit president, who is also a Khushwaha. The community sees Ashoka as their ancestor.

Luv-Kush is the alliance between the Kurmi and Koeri castes, which together constitute approximately 15 % of the state population. Nitish Kumar a Kurmi himself, had garnered the support of this caste alliance, to take on the Muslim-Yadav alliance of his once staunch rival Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“The BJP is organising a big public programme to mark the birth anniversary of Samrat Ashoka, whom Khushwahas see as their ancestor. Now, the Luv-Kush alliance whom Kumar treated as his bonded labourers, will now go with BJP, worshippers of Lord Ram,” Choudhary told ET.He said the genesis of Luv-kush alliance was to counter Yadav’s politics of appeasement.

Meanwhile, the BJP has appointed a new co-incharge for Bihar, Sunil Ojha from Gujarat who worked closely with the prime minister and was looking after the party’s work in eastern Uttar Pradesh, a region comprising Modi’s constituency Varanasi.

With Ojha’s appointment, there will be two key BJP functionaries — he and Bhikhubhai Dalsaniya, organisational secretary for BJP’s state unit — both from Gujarat and have worked with Modi for many years since his days as Gujarat chief minister. Ojha was relocated to Varanasi from Gujarat and registered as a voter from Modi’s constituency in 2018.”I was handling the party’s work in eastern Uttar Pradesh, which borders Bihar. So, the demography and social structure in both regions is the same,” Ojha told ET. Ojha’s appointment also came days after the appointment of the new state unit chief.

Bihar has always been an uphill task for the BJP dispensation, and has constantly been posing challenges for the party.

Now, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has redrawn its strategy with new state unit chief and incharges. The coming together of the JD(U) with RJD after parting ways with the BJP, poses a serious challenge for the BJP, as these two parties make caste equations unfavourable for the BJP.

Source link