News Analysis India

Tag: Congress MLAs

  • Twist in the Congress tale: Pro-Gehlot MLAs revolt against Pilot becoming Rajasthan CM

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: In a late Sunday evening political development in Rajasthan, the kind only Congress men can pull off, nearly 100 pro-Ashok Gehlot legislators sprang a surprise by quitting en masse in a protest, widely seen as, against the proposal to elevate Sachin Pilot as the Chief Minister of the state.

    The revolting legislators met Assembly speaker C P Joshi at his residence and submitted their resignation.

    The twist to the Congress’ political drama came amid suspense over who will succeed Gehlot as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. A meeting of the Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party was called for around 9 pm at the CM’s house with party veterans Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers on behalf of the Congress high command. But instead of heading for the meeting, the legislators went straight to the Speaker’s residence to convey that they are quitting. Amid the revolt, Congress’s high command sent a message to the observers to hear the views of all the legislators.

    The dissent from Gehlot supporters broke out amid speculation that Sachin Pilot would be Gehlot’s successor as the latter is poised to contest for the party president’s post.

    ALSO READ | Crucial Congress MLAs meet in Jaipur amid suspense over who will be next CM of Rajasthan

    As pro-Gehlot legislators scurried to quit, their mood was reflected in the statement of Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who commented that the new chief minister should be a representative of the nearly 100 MLAs who stayed in hotels for 38 days to save the Congress government two years ago. Alluding to Pilot, he said, those who tried to topple the Congress cannot be accepted as the chief minister. In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot.

    Earlier, Gehlot had tweeted – “It has been made up by the media from the very beginning that Ashok Gehlot does not want to leave the post of Chief Minister of Rajasthan, while this thing has never been in my mind.  I have already told the high command on August 9 that it is very important to win the next Rajasthan elections.”

    Another tweet by Gehlot read, “In this country the media becomes the king maker, unfortunately they do not know the ground reality.  The media of Delhi does not know anything and they run such campaigns that they become king makers.”

    JAIPUR: In a late Sunday evening political development in Rajasthan, the kind only Congress men can pull off, nearly 100 pro-Ashok Gehlot legislators sprang a surprise by quitting en masse in a protest, widely seen as, against the proposal to elevate Sachin Pilot as the Chief Minister of the state.

    The revolting legislators met Assembly speaker C P Joshi at his residence and submitted their resignation.

    The twist to the Congress’ political drama came amid suspense over who will succeed Gehlot as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. A meeting of the Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party was called for around 9 pm at the CM’s house with party veterans Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers on behalf of the Congress high command. But instead of heading for the meeting, the legislators went straight to the Speaker’s residence to convey that they are quitting. Amid the revolt, Congress’s high command sent a message to the observers to hear the views of all the legislators.

    The dissent from Gehlot supporters broke out amid speculation that Sachin Pilot would be Gehlot’s successor as the latter is poised to contest for the party president’s post.

    ALSO READ | Crucial Congress MLAs meet in Jaipur amid suspense over who will be next CM of Rajasthan

    As pro-Gehlot legislators scurried to quit, their mood was reflected in the statement of Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who commented that the new chief minister should be a representative of the nearly 100 MLAs who stayed in hotels for 38 days to save the Congress government two years ago. Alluding to Pilot, he said, those who tried to topple the Congress cannot be accepted as the chief minister. In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 party MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot.

    Earlier, Gehlot had tweeted – “It has been made up by the media from the very beginning that Ashok Gehlot does not want to leave the post of Chief Minister of Rajasthan, while this thing has never been in my mind.  I have already told the high command on August 9 that it is very important to win the next Rajasthan elections.”

    Another tweet by Gehlot read, “In this country the media becomes the king maker, unfortunately they do not know the ground reality.  The media of Delhi does not know anything and they run such campaigns that they become king makers.”

  • 25 Congress MLAs, two MPs in touch with us, but we don’t want their ‘kachra’: Arvind Kejriwal

    By ANI

    AMRITSAR: Referring to the phenomenon of party-hopping ahead of polls, AAP National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that amid a competition over inducting MLAs from rival parties, over 25 MLAs and two MPs from Congress are in touch with AAP.

    Kejriwal’s remarks came during a press conference in Amritsar. He is on a two-day visit to Punjab ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled to be held early next year.

    Responding to a question on AAP MLAs leaving the party and joining other parties, “Ahead of elections, every MLAs from all the parties switch sides. Party-hopping is common everywhere. If there is completion over MLAs switching sides and joining rival parties, then I can assure there are a minimum of 25 MLAs and two MPs from the Congress party who are in touch with AAP. But we don’t want their ‘kachra’.”

    This statement came after almost four rebel MLAs, including Rupinder Kaur, joined the Congress party in the past six months. In July, in the presence of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and other two MLAs Pirmal Singh and Jagdev Singh Kamalu had joined Congress.

    With the nine MLAs deserting the AAP in the 4.5 years, the party has reduced to 11 in the Assembly. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the AAP had won 20 seats. (ANI)

  • No political angle to Congress MLAs’ visit to Delhi, says Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday sought to play down the visit of a group of Congress MLAs to Delhi, saying the trip should not be seen through political prism as talks about a possible change in leadership in the state refuse to fizzle out.

    Baghel also termed as unfortunate, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s remarks raising questions over the party’s functioning.

    Over a dozen ruling party MLAs, considered close to Baghel, flew to the national capital on Wednesday, adding to the speculation over a possible leadership change as a part of purported power-sharing formula in the Congress government.

    However, the MLAs who have reached Delhi had said their visit was linked to the proposed tour of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to the state, where the party came to power in 2018 after 15 years in opposition.

    Asked about their visit, Baghel told reporters here, “Tell me one thing – can’t legislators go anywhere. Every step should not be seen as politics. Anybody can go anywhere. Even you (media persons) tour with your friends and it doesn’t mean every time the purpose is getting news.”

    Similarly, if anyone has gone (to Delhi) it should not be seen through political prism, said the Congress CM.

    Asked about the possibility of the MLAs meeting AICC in-charge for Chhattisgarh P L Punia, the chief minister said, “They are politicians and will meet politicians? Is Punia ji in Delhi? If Punia ji is not in Delhi so there is no question of meeting him.”

    Baghel said Sibal’s comments on the party leadership were unfortunate.

    “Kapil Sibal ji is our senior leader, a former Union minister, a senior lawyer and such a statement by him is unfortunate. After Rahul ji resigned as AICC president (in July 2019), everyone (in the party) had accepted Sonia Gandhi ji as the interim president and she is still in the post.

    “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, election (to the post of Congress president) was cancelled. After all this, it is ridiculous to raise such questions,” he said.

    Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday, Sibal had raised questions on the party’s high command in the wake of the events unfolding in Punjab, saying Congress workers did not know who was taking decisions in the absence of a full-time president.

    Meanwhile, state Health Minister TS Singh Deo, who has been apparently seeking a change in guard, also played down the visit of MLAs to Delhi and said it should not be made an issue.

    “We all 70 MLAs can go…What is the issue if the MLAs have gone to Delhi. In Uttar Pradesh, some MLAs (of ruling BJP) had gone to Delhi in connection with the Yogi Adityanath government.

    “For many days, discussions were held following which their (BJP) high command took a decision and new ministers were inducted and a new system was created (there),” Singh Deo told reporters on Thursday when asked about the development.

    “The episode ran for several days in UP. We all heard about it. Then what new thing is happening in Chhattisgarh? I cannot understand,” he added.

    The state health minister said, “I have learnt the MLAs are (after Delhi) going to Shimla as tourists. No assembly session is underway in the state and they might have finished tour to their respective  constituencies so they must be out for some leisure.”

    Congress MLA Brihaspat Singh, who is among the legislators who are in in Delhi, had said on Wednesday that 15 to 16 party MLAs have reached the national capital to meet Punia regarding the proposed tour of Rahul Gandhi in the state.

    The schedule of Gandhi’s visit to Chhattisgarh is yet to be finalised, according to party sources here.

    Singh, considered close to Baghel, courted controversy in July when he alleged there was a threat to his life from Singh Deo.

    However, the MLA, who hails from Singh Deo’s home turf Surguja, later withdrew the claim.

    The buzz about a possible change of guard surfaced after Baghel completed two-and-a-half years as chief minister in June 2021.

    The Singh Deo camp claimed the high command in 2018 had agreed to hand over the CM’s post to him after the government completed half its term.

    The Congress high command summoned both Baghel and Singh Deo to Delhi in August in a bid to resolve the feud.

    It appeared that Baghel had won this round when he told reporters upon return that Gandhi had agreed to visit the state ‘on his invitation’, and those talking about rotating the CM’s post were promoting political instability.

    As many as 54 out of 70 Congress MLAs had visited Delhi separately when Baghel was in the national capital in an apparent show of strength by legislators supporting him.

    While both Baghel and Singh Deo have refrained from saying anything about the leadership issue since then, the speculation has not died down.

  • Uttarakhand budget session: Opposition calls Trivendra led government ‘General Dyre’s government’

    Express News Service
    Dehradun: Second day of the budget session of Uttarakhand legislative assembly witnessed hot exchange between state government and the opposition. 

    The opposition on Tuesday called BJP government of the state ‘General Dyer’s government’ alleging the government brutalizing own people. 

    Congress MLA Pritam Singh raised the issue by moving a motion on lathi charge incident on Monday. 

    “The police acting on the orders of this government attacked the women and elderly which mirrored General Dyer of the British rule who ordered to open fire on the freedom fighters at Jallianwala Bagh. This government doesn’t believe in democracy,” said Singh. 

    He further said, “The government resorted to high handedness against villagers who were well within their democratic right to hold protest for their demand of widening the 19-km road in their village in Ghat area near Gairsain.”

    Singh also added that the residents of the village have been holding their protest for over 80 days now but the government failed to pay any attention. 

    The opposition MLAs led by Indira Hridayesh, leader of opposition moved into the well of the House demanding an apology from the government over Monday’s incident before staging a walkout and holding a sit-in protest at the entrance of the assembly and raising slogans against the government.

    The opposition also alleged that the government has been doing nothing for the people. 

    “The government is doing nothing to control skyrocketing prices of essential commodities including fuel and food items. The common people of this country are suffering due to steep price rise of petroleum and essential items of daily use including vegetable and pulses. Our neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and even Bhutan is doing better,” added Hridayesh.

    The opposition alleging the government of insulting the motherhood of the hills demanded an apology from the government over the incident.

    The House managed to pass two amendment bills related to a change in a non-government university operating in Uttarakhand and another related to marketing of agricultural produce and livestock.