Congress

The laborious road ahead for D K Shivakumar on jobs, growth and welfare

From delivering welfare promises to scripting a Congress comeback in 2028, the new CM will have his hands full. Archis Mohan writes

D K Shivakumar meets Karnataka Guv ahead of CLP meeting to elect new leader

The Congress Legislature Party is scheduled to meet on Saturday evening here to elect its new leader, who will succeed Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar, who served as Deputy CM under Siddaramaiah, is widely expected to be elected as the new leader of the CLP. Siddaramaiah's resignation as Chief Minister was accepted and the Council of Ministers was dissolved by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday. All lawmakers have been asked to attend the CLP meeting at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha's conference hall, which will be overseen by AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. According to sources, Siddaramaiah himself will propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader, or a one-line resolution may be passed authorising the Congress high command to choose the next leader. The swearing-in of the new Chief Minister is likely on Sunday or Monday, and it may be held on the iconic grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, official sources said. There

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has decided to resign: Senior Cong MLA Deshpande

Senior Congress MLA and Chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission R V Deshpande on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told him he had decided to resign. The former minister, who met Siddaramaiah at his residence, said that when some MLAs insisted he should not resign, the CM replied that he had given his word to the high command and would respect it. According to sources, a number of ministers and legislators met Siddaramaiah at his residence and held discussions with him. They insisted he should not resign and said they would discuss the matter with the party high command. As per reports, some even suggested the matter be discussed at a legislature party meeting, but Siddaramaiah did not respond positively to any such suggestions. "I was with the CM. He said, 'I have decided to resign.' He has decided to resign. I did not question him about why he was resigning. We tried to persuade him, saying, 'Why don't you continue?'" Deshpande said. Speaking to repor

Congress' delicate balancing act in managing Kerala's power equations

The Congress' central leadership announced Satheesan's name as Kerala's 13th CM on May 14

V D Satheesan meets Sonia, Rahul during first Delhi visit as Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Saturday met top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during his first visit to Delhi after assuming office. Satheesan also called on AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the visit. The chief minister, who arrived in the national capital late on Friday night, thanked the Congress high command for its support during the Assembly election campaign, party sources said. According to sources, organisational matters and things related to the functioning of the newly formed UDF government in Kerala figured prominently in the discussions with senior leaders. The visit also comes amid discussions within the Congress over the appointment of a new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. There were indications that the CM may also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an available day next week, though there was no immediate officia

A 'balanced' chief minister: Kerala's new CM faces a tough balancing act

There's no denying that the new Kerala CM is swimming in a sea of sharks. He must prove that he can fend them off

PM, Education min must be held accountable: Cong on NTA claims on NEET exam

The Congress on Friday said it was shocked over claims made by top NTA officials that the NEET exam paper was "not leaked", and said both the 'Pradhan Mantri' and the 'Mantri Pradhan' must be held accountable for this "cover-up". The Congress also said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has become a "National Trauma Agency" and accused the government of colluding with the paper leak mafia to suppress the truth of irregularities and fraud. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said a "guess paper" featuring questions that appeared in the actual exam was circulating among students much before the exam date. "Since the NTA was formed in 2018, the Modi Government and its ecosystem have been colluding with the paper leak mafia to suppress the truth of rampant irregularities and fraud in NTA-conducted exams," he alleged in his post. "Today we have learnt from media reports that the NTA Director General claimed yesterday to a Parliamentar

Cong joins TN govt, CM Vijay expands Cabinet by inducting 23 more ministers

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday expanded his Cabinet by inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress, which marked the return of the grand old party to governance in Tamil Nadu after almost 60 years. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Lok Bhavan and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the minister-designates. TVK MLAs, including Srinath, S Kamali, C Vijayalakshmi and R V Ranjithkumar were initially sworn-in as ministers. Congress party's S Rajesh Kumar, representing Killiyoor, and P Viswanathan, who won from Melur segment, took oath as ministers. AICC incharge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, said the inclusion of his party MLAs in the Cabinet heralded a "turning point" in the political history of Tamil Nadu. "Congress cadres have been striving for power for the last 59 years and have been working for it with loyalty and dedication. Now, they have got it," Chodankar told PTI ...

Sonia, Rahul, Kharge pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on 35th death anniversary

Senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, P Chidambaram, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mukul Wasnik, among other party members, also paid tribute to the former PM at Vir Bhumi

Constitution under constant attack from BJP-RSS, says Rahul Gandhi

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Constitution is under attack and called it a document that represents the voices of Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi that must be protected. He was addressing a 'Bahujan Swabhiman Sabha' in Raebareli, his parliamentary constituency, in memory of revolutionary Veera Pasi who belonged to the district. "While listening to other speakers, I felt that we remember Veera Pasi and Dr Ambedkar, but the ideology they stood for is not being protected properly because, in front of our eyes, an attack is being made on the Constitution," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the Constitution is not an ordinary document, but one that carried the ideology of Ambedkar, Veera Pasi and Mahatma Gandhi, along with the contributions of several reformers such as Narayana Guru in Kerala and Basavanna in Karnataka. Gandhi also referred to Buddha, Guru Nanak, and Kabir, saying their voices were reflected in the Constitution. He alleged tha

Kerala govt scraps Silverline project, to revoke land acquisition notices

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday said that his government has decided to scrap the Silverline high-speed rail project, an ambitious initiative of the previous LDF administration. Satheesan said at a press conference here that the notifications with regard to acquiring land for the project will be revoked. Besides that, the government will also recommend withdrawal of the criminal cases lodged against those who opposed the Silverline project, and it will be subject to the court's decision, the CM said after a Cabinet meeting chaired by him. The cabinet also decided to extend the validity of the public service commission's rank lists till November 30, as hardly any appointments were made during the election period, Satheesan said.

Govt pursuing policy of 'continued calibrated capitulation' to China: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday targeted the Modi government over its approach towards Beijing and accused it of pursuing a "4C policy of continued, calibrated capitulation to China". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also raised the issue of the Great Nicobar project to attack the government. In a post on X, Ramesh claimed, "The Modi Govt has now launched a propaganda campaign through its ecosystem to portray all those concerned about the ecological havoc that will be caused by the Great Nicobar Island Project as being 'soft on China'". "This is the height of hypocrisy, coming as it does from a government that practices the 4C policy - Continuing, Calibrated Capitulation to China," he said in his post. The Congress leader said it was the prime minister who gave an "inexplicable clean chit" to China on June 19, 2020, in a "brazen insult" to the 20 jawans martyred earlier in Ladakh. "It is the Modi Government that has, in negotiations with China, given up

Congress should stop being 'obstructionists', says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Responsible Opposition does not engage in fear-mongering, says FM Sitharaman

Rahul Gandhi warns of 'economic storm', attacks Modi govt over fuel hike

He claimed that the financial modifications made by the Prime Minister would inevitably collapse, with the common citizen bearing the heaviest burden

Rahul slams PM Modi for 'not taking' Norwegian journalist's questions

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations that he did not take questions from journalists in Norway, saying "when there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear". The Congress leader made these remarks on X while sharing a video of a journalist in Norway, where Modi was seen walking away as she tried to ask a question. "What happens to India's image when the world sees a compromised PM panic and run from a few questions?" Gandhi said on X. Prime Minister Modi, who is on a six-day five-nation tour, arrived in Oslo earlier in the day to attend the third India-Nordic Summit and hold key bilateral engagements with Nordic leaders. Later, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared a picture of Modi with Netherlands PM Rob Jetten and wondered what the Indian PM is explaining to his Dutch counterpart. "What bogus gyaan is the self-styled but thoroughly exposed Vishwaguru giving to the Dutch PM who actually called him out?" Ramesh sa

VD Satheesan sworn in as Kerala CM, 20 Cabinet ministers also take oath

V D Satheesan on Monday took oath as Kerala's Chief Minister, and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office to the Congress Legislature Party leader here. Satheesan took oath in the name of God. Besides Satheesan, his 20-member Cabinet will also be sworn in by the Governor. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others, attended the swearing-in ceremony. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Left leaders, and BJP representatives also attended the ceremony. Thousands of Congress workers arrived in the state capital from across Kerala for the event. The Assembly elections to the 140-member House were held on April 9, with the results declared on May 4. The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats, while the LDF secured 35 and the BJP won three.

VD Satheesan: Lawyer, debater and face of Congress' comeback, now Kerala CM

Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan, who was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Kerala on Monday, is a lawyer-turned-politician from Kochi who rose through the ranks of the Congress party with a reputation for sharp speeches and organisational discipline. Known for his calm public style and aggressive attacks on the Left government inside the Assembly, V D Satheesan--called VD or VDS by his supporters--became the face of the Congress revival in Kerala after he was made Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly five years ago. As Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan put the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government on defensive mode on various issues, including alleged nepotism and financial irregularities, pushed the Congress towards younger leadership and a more energetic campaign. He led the Congress-led UDF to power in the April 9 polls, marking the alliance's return to power in Kerala after a decade. Supporters see him as practical and accessible, while critics say his biggest

'Pariksha ki Samiksha' is need of the hour: Cong slams govt amid NEET row

Amid the NEET cancellation row, the Congress on Saturday claimed that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan doesn't appear to be cut out for the task and said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives great publicity to his annual "Pariksha pe Charcha extravaganza", what is needed is "Pariksha ki Samiksha (review of exams)". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh flagged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education's recommendations on the National Testing Agency (NTA), sharing a media report on it on X. "The Modi Government's education ecosystem -- populated by third-rate academic mediocrities -- has proven itself to be supremely incompetent, politicised, and corrupt over the last few years," Ramesh alleged. "Every passing month brings up a new crisis - the NCERT textbook row, the UGC's draft regulations on the appointment of VCs, the constant paper leaks, the NAAC bribery scandal, the ICHR scam, the blatantly unconstitutional withholding of ...

Delhi Congress protests against fuel, milk price hikes across capital

The Delhi Congress on Saturday staged protests across the national capital against rising inflation, a day after the BJP-led Centre increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre. The demonstrations were held outside petrol pumps and dairy booths across Delhi under all 258 Block Congress Committees (BCCs), with party workers protesting against the rising prices of fuel and milk. "The failed policies of the Modi government have set petrol, diesel, and milk prices on fire," the party said in a post on X. Several Congress workers from the Chandni Chowk District Congress Committee also held a protest carrying placards over rising fuel prices. The placards bore slogans such as "Expensive diesel, expensive oil, the Modi government has failed" and "Costly diesel and oil have left the public distressed." Protesters alleged that the rising prices of fuel and essential commodities were burdening common people and worsening inflation. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav also joined

Goa Congress leader Ketan Bhatikar dies of snakebite in Karnataka

Goa Congress leader Dr Ketan Bhatikar, who was the party's face during the recently cancelled Ponda assembly bypoll, died after being bitten by a snake, police said on Friday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who is visiting the coastal state, offered their condolences on Bhatikar's demise. The incident occurred on Thursday night when Bhatikar (38) was on his way to Dandeli village in Karnataka. "Bhatikar had got down at Karmal Ghat, on the Goa-Karnataka border, for some reason, when a snake bit him. He was rushed to the Primary Health Centre in Dharbandora, Goa, where doctors declared him brought dead," a police official said. Bhatikar was the Congress candidate for the Ponda by-election, which was cancelled following a high court verdict. He had moved the Supreme Court against the HC order through a Special Leave Petition, which is pending before the apex court. CM Sawant paid tribute to Bhatikar, calling his death a profound loss