News Analysis India

Tag: KC Venugopal

  • Did INDIA Bloc Offer PM Position To Nitish Kumar? Congress Reacts |

    The Congress party on Saturday responded to the claims of Janta Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi about Nitish Kumar being offered the Prime Minister’s position by the INDIA bloc. “We don’t have any such information,” stated Congress general secretary KC Venugopal in a press conference following the Congress Working Committee’s meeting in Delhi.  

    The JD(U) senior leaders pointed fingers at the coalition for mistreating Nitish Kumar; he alleged that those who previously rejected Nitish Kumar as the INDIA bloc’s national convenor are now proposing to make him Prime Minister. He further said that this is the ‘game of politics’ and the JDU will not run back to the INDI Alliance.  

    With 12 seats in Bihar, Kumar’s JD (U) has become a significant ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to reach the magic number of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. JD (U) was crucial in the formation of INDIA bloc last year. However, it returned to the NDA in January after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was suggested as the potential prime ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc.  

    On Friday, while supporting the NDA proposal to name Narendra Modi as the leader of the coalition, Kumar expressed his confidence by saying, “Next time when you come, those who have won here and there this time will lose. I am confident about it. They never worked for the nation. They never served the country. The country will progress under your (PM Modi) leadership.”  

    He added that all the pending work in Bihar will be completed. It is very good that all of us have come together, and we will all work together with you (PM Modi). 

  • Alappuzha: LS Polls 2024: KC Venugopal ups stakes to wrest CPM seat, says Pinarayi Vijayan speaks Modi lingo

    As one enters Alappuzha, the citadel of the Communists in Kerala and the land of the historic Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and the martyrs column, huge hoardings of KC Venugopal, the influential AICC general secretary (organisation) and a close associate of Rahul Gandhi, are all over. Venugopal is fighting to wrest the CPM seat, the only Lok Sabha constituency that stood by the Left in 2019 when the Congress-led UDF swept 19 of the 20 seats from the state. If that explains the Left’s political resilience here, Venugopal’s entry has upped the stakes for both sides.”This is an election to save Indian democracy and to save our Constitution,” Venugopal said when ET caught up with him at Aryad on the outskirts of the town. “The Congress is leading that fight, along with the INDIA alliance parties, against the Modi government. Every single seat, every single vote counts. I am sure the people of Alappuzha will stand by the Congress in this historic battle”.Venugopal has trained expertise in taking the fight to the Left strongholds; he cut his teeth in the Congress student’s wing in his birthplace of Payyanur in Kannur, another Communist base. As he progressed to the party leadership, the Congress politically relocated Venugopal to Alappuzha where he won three consecutive assembly polls from 1996 and two Lok Sabha polls in 2009 and 2014. CPM reclaimed the seat in 2019 — when Venugopal took a break from electoral contest due to organisational preoccupation with the leadership placing him in the RS from Rajasthan. Venugopal is now back for the retrieval act. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesAs Venugopal reached a street corner meeting venue, an enthusiastic crowd greeted him. “If anyone examines the political life of a Congress worker called KC Venugopal, he will find its foundation was laid when the people of Alappuzha elected me as their MLA way back in 1996. You have made me MLA and MP many times. Whatever I am today, all credit goes to you people. As my party has sent me here to fight this all-important election, I once again place my politics and my future in your hands,” Venugopal tells the responsive crowd.

    He is pitted against a local CPM leader and sitting MP AM Arif, who won the seat in 2019 by a slender margin of 10,474 votes, and senior BJP leader Shobha Surendran, who has a track-record of lifting the BJP vote percentage wherever she contested, albeit losing the elections. But whose vote, in addition to that of the BJP here, she will cut into this time is keeping both Congress and the Left sides guessing.

    As Venugopal moved forward through the crowds, he told ET about his twin concerns and his twin targets. “Can you imagine the way the PM is speaking at his rallies these days? Such blatant communal talk! Shocking. The PM has become desperate after the first phase of election. And here in Kerala, look at the way the CM (and CPI-M leader) Pinarayi Vijayan is speaking, the way he has targeted Rahul Ji. Modi and Pinarayi speak the same language in this election”. CPM’s sitting MP, Arif, 59, told ET that he is fighting to retain his party’s Lok Sabha seat. “I have placed before the people the details of the development works I have done, including the steps to modernise and beautify Alappuzha as a throbbing tourism destination.”

  • Rajasthan tussle: Pilot says won t compromise on his demands from Gehlot government

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR:  Two days after a reconciliation meeting at Congress chief Mallikarjan Kharge’s house, Sachin Pilot’s attitude towards his demands is unchanged. He made it clear that there will be no compromise on the three demands that he placed at the conclusion of his padayatra on May 15.

    The three demands are: Students who suffered during the competitive exam on account of the paper leak should be compensated with financial assistance, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) should be dissolved and reoriented to secure the future of the youth and a high-level probe instituted on alleged graft cases during former chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s tenure.

    Pilot reminded the Gehlot government of the ultimatum, saying that the commitments made to the youth on a public platform are not hot air. It was expected that the party leadership’s efforts in Delhi to bring about peace in the Rajasthan Congress will begin to manifest in the statements and body language of CM Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. During his one-day visit to his constituency Tonk on Wednesday, Pilot seemed to lack the aggressive attitude he showed in the past few months.

    “I want to say there was loot during the BJP rule. It is about getting justice for the youth. It is not possible to compromise on that. I hope that what I said on May 15, the government will act on them soon. I am waiting,” he said.

    On Monday, Gehlot and Pilot were brought together in the presence of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary KC Venugopal. However, no public announcement was made on a specific formula.

    JAIPUR:  Two days after a reconciliation meeting at Congress chief Mallikarjan Kharge’s house, Sachin Pilot’s attitude towards his demands is unchanged. He made it clear that there will be no compromise on the three demands that he placed at the conclusion of his padayatra on May 15.

    The three demands are: Students who suffered during the competitive exam on account of the paper leak should be compensated with financial assistance, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) should be dissolved and reoriented to secure the future of the youth and a high-level probe instituted on alleged graft cases during former chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s tenure.

    Pilot reminded the Gehlot government of the ultimatum, saying that the commitments made to the youth on a public platform are not hot air. It was expected that the party leadership’s efforts in Delhi to bring about peace in the Rajasthan Congress will begin to manifest in the statements and body language of CM Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. During his one-day visit to his constituency Tonk on Wednesday, Pilot seemed to lack the aggressive attitude he showed in the past few months.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I want to say there was loot during the BJP rule. It is about getting justice for the youth. It is not possible to compromise on that. I hope that what I said on May 15, the government will act on them soon. I am waiting,” he said.

    On Monday, Gehlot and Pilot were brought together in the presence of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party 
    general secretary KC Venugopal. However, no public announcement was made on a specific formula.

  • ‘We are together’: Uddhav Thackeray meets with Congress leaders to firm up Opposition unity

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have sabotaged democracy in the country and there was need for all opposition parties to fight unitedly against this dictatorship, All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal said here on Monday.

    Venugopal arrived in the metropolis in the evening and held a meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for more than half an hour, after which both leaders addressed a press conference.

    “We have witnessed how democracy has been sabotaged by Modi and Amit Shah. All the opposition parties have a general consensus to fight together against the dictatorship of Modi. The Congress is in full solidarity with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). We are all in agreement that we have to fight these forces (BJP) together,” he said.

    During the previous Parliamentary session, all opposition parties were meeting for a common strategy under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Venugopal said.

    “It was the government side that was disrupting proceedings in Parliament. We only sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the Adani issue. They (BJP) did not want this, hence, resorted to disturbing proceedings,” he said.

    Venugopal said the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate were targeting opposition parties, especially the Shiv Sena (UBT).

    He said there was a feeling among all opposition parties for a broader unity, which is why Kharge and Rahul Gandhi met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as well as NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

    “There are some differences among political parties. They have their own ideologies but the country is facing a bigger issue. This type of atmosphere (under the Modi government) has never been witnessed before,” Venugopal claimed.

    ALSO READ | Shinde going, going… Ajit Pawar readies to be Maha successor

    Speaking on his discussion with Thackeray, the Congress leader said it was a fruitful one where a lot of issues were deliberated upon. “Hum saath hain (we are together) is the message we want to give,” he added.

    “I have requested Uddhavji to come to Delhi to meet Soniaji. Then Rahul Gandhi will also definitely visit Mumbai,” he said in response to a media query.

    Speaking at the press conference, Thackeray, without naming Modi, used terms like “man-eater” and “power-hungry” for the current dispensation at the Centre.

    “I don’t think it is wrong to use such terminology against them (BJP-led Union government). Only one person is considered important. The Shiv Sena is in the arena with all its strength,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

    “We were with them (BJP) for 25 years but they have forgotten this friendship. We (Shiv Sena) are a party that lives up to friendship. We treat it like a relation,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Rahul-Uddhav meet likely at Matoshree to break ice

    On BJP national president JP Nadda’s recent comments in Mumbai that there won’t be any other party left in the country, Thackeray said, “He may have said it unintentionally but it is something we have to oppose. The Sena will fight for democracy.”

    Thackeray said his party had spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, adding the (Lok Sabha) elections are not even a year away.

    The Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party make up the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which was in power in Maharashtra till June last year.

    A rebellion by Eknath Shinde led to a split in the Sena. Shinde went on to become chief minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

    MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have sabotaged democracy in the country and there was need for all opposition parties to fight unitedly against this dictatorship, All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal said here on Monday.

    Venugopal arrived in the metropolis in the evening and held a meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for more than half an hour, after which both leaders addressed a press conference.

    “We have witnessed how democracy has been sabotaged by Modi and Amit Shah. All the opposition parties have a general consensus to fight together against the dictatorship of Modi. The Congress is in full solidarity with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). We are all in agreement that we have to fight these forces (BJP) together,” he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    During the previous Parliamentary session, all opposition parties were meeting for a common strategy under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Venugopal said.

    “It was the government side that was disrupting proceedings in Parliament. We only sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the Adani issue. They (BJP) did not want this, hence, resorted to disturbing proceedings,” he said.

    Venugopal said the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate were targeting opposition parties, especially the Shiv Sena (UBT).

    He said there was a feeling among all opposition parties for a broader unity, which is why Kharge and Rahul Gandhi met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as well as NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

    “There are some differences among political parties. They have their own ideologies but the country is facing a bigger issue. This type of atmosphere (under the Modi government) has never been witnessed before,” Venugopal claimed.

    ALSO READ | Shinde going, going… Ajit Pawar readies to be Maha successor

    Speaking on his discussion with Thackeray, the Congress leader said it was a fruitful one where a lot of issues were deliberated upon. “Hum saath hain (we are together) is the message we want to give,” he added.

    “I have requested Uddhavji to come to Delhi to meet Soniaji. Then Rahul Gandhi will also definitely visit Mumbai,” he said in response to a media query.

    Speaking at the press conference, Thackeray, without naming Modi, used terms like “man-eater” and “power-hungry” for the current dispensation at the Centre.

    “I don’t think it is wrong to use such terminology against them (BJP-led Union government). Only one person is considered important. The Shiv Sena is in the arena with all its strength,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

    “We were with them (BJP) for 25 years but they have forgotten this friendship. We (Shiv Sena) are a party that lives up to friendship. We treat it like a relation,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Rahul-Uddhav meet likely at Matoshree to break ice

    On BJP national president JP Nadda’s recent comments in Mumbai that there won’t be any other party left in the country, Thackeray said, “He may have said it unintentionally but it is something we have to oppose. The Sena will fight for democracy.”

    Thackeray said his party had spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, adding the (Lok Sabha) elections are not even a year away.

    The Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party make up the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which was in power in Maharashtra till June last year.

    A rebellion by Eknath Shinde led to a split in the Sena. Shinde went on to become chief minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

  • Everything will be resolved smoothly: Venugopal on Gehlot-Pilot tussle

    By PTI

    DAUSA: Amid an ongoing power tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday said “everything will be resolved smoothly” and the party is very much united in the state.

    In an interview with PTI, Venugopal also exuded confidence that the Congress would win the Rajasthan assembly polls next year and return to power.

    His remarks come after a major row erupted last month following Gehlot’s comments that Pilot is a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and cannot replace him.

    The remarks drew a sharp response from Pilot who had said it was unbecoming of Gehlot’s stature to use that kind of language and that such “mud-slinging” would not help at a time the focus should be on the yatra.

    Asked about the row and whether the differences between Gehlot and Pilot would be resolved, Venugopal, who is participating in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, said, “Everything will be resolved smoothly.”

    ” The party is very much united and working together, the AICC general secretary organisation said. We will win definitely, our chances are very bright,” he said referring to the Rajasthan Assembly polls next year.

    The escalation of the Gehlot-Pilot rift just ahead of the entry of yatra into the desert state had put the party in a spot but Venugopal’s visit to the state last week calmed tempers and in a show of unity both Pilot and Gehlot posed for the cameras along with the AICC general secretary.

    Talking about the yatra completing 100 days, Venugopal Friday said there is tremendous momentum for the foot march and people have been welcoming it everywhere.

    “The issues raised by this yatra are not political issues, they are issues concerning the people. The issue of unemployment, the entire youth of the country is disappointed, price rise is at its peak and the central government is misusing agencies to target people,” Venugopal said.

    The BJP’s divisive politics only for winning elections has created a big division in this country and at such a time the Congress is undertaking this massive yatra to unite people, he said.

    Asked if the yatra would yield electoral gains, Venugopal said this is not aimed at an electoral impact, but added that in the field, the yatra will definitely have an impact.

    “This yatra has electrified our entire cadre. Our workers are now charged. We are going for a massive follow up programme from January 26 onwards from booth level upwards. This will certainly have an impact on the coming elections,” he said.

    The yatra, which was launched on September 7 in Kanyakumari has traversed eight states —  Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and now, Rajasthan.

    It has seen participation from a cross-section of society, including film and TV celebrities such as Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhasker, Rashami Desai, Akanksha Puri and Amol Palekar.

    Besides participation from tinsel town celebrities, writers, military veterans, including former Navy chief admiral L Ramdas, Opposition leaders such as Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray and the NCP’s Supriya Sule, and former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, have also joined the march at various points.

    DAUSA: Amid an ongoing power tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday said “everything will be resolved smoothly” and the party is very much united in the state.

    In an interview with PTI, Venugopal also exuded confidence that the Congress would win the Rajasthan assembly polls next year and return to power.

    His remarks come after a major row erupted last month following Gehlot’s comments that Pilot is a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and cannot replace him.

    The remarks drew a sharp response from Pilot who had said it was unbecoming of Gehlot’s stature to use that kind of language and that such “mud-slinging” would not help at a time the focus should be on the yatra.

    Asked about the row and whether the differences between Gehlot and Pilot would be resolved, Venugopal, who is participating in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, said, “Everything will be resolved smoothly.”

    ” The party is very much united and working together, the AICC general secretary organisation said. We will win definitely, our chances are very bright,” he said referring to the Rajasthan Assembly polls next year.

    The escalation of the Gehlot-Pilot rift just ahead of the entry of yatra into the desert state had put the party in a spot but Venugopal’s visit to the state last week calmed tempers and in a show of unity both Pilot and Gehlot posed for the cameras along with the AICC general secretary.

    Talking about the yatra completing 100 days, Venugopal Friday said there is tremendous momentum for the foot march and people have been welcoming it everywhere.

    “The issues raised by this yatra are not political issues, they are issues concerning the people. The issue of unemployment, the entire youth of the country is disappointed, price rise is at its peak and the central government is misusing agencies to target people,” Venugopal said.

    The BJP’s divisive politics only for winning elections has created a big division in this country and at such a time the Congress is undertaking this massive yatra to unite people, he said.

    Asked if the yatra would yield electoral gains, Venugopal said this is not aimed at an electoral impact, but added that in the field, the yatra will definitely have an impact.

    “This yatra has electrified our entire cadre. Our workers are now charged. We are going for a massive follow up programme from January 26 onwards from booth level upwards. This will certainly have an impact on the coming elections,” he said.

    The yatra, which was launched on September 7 in Kanyakumari has traversed eight states —  Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and now, Rajasthan.

    It has seen participation from a cross-section of society, including film and TV celebrities such as Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhasker, Rashami Desai, Akanksha Puri and Amol Palekar.

    Besides participation from tinsel town celebrities, writers, military veterans, including former Navy chief admiral L Ramdas, Opposition leaders such as Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray and the NCP’s Supriya Sule, and former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, have also joined the march at various points.

  • KC Venugopal flies to Delhi after Congress prez calls for meet on “organisational matters”

    By ANI

    ALAPPUZHA: Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, departed for the national capital on Tuesday upon the call by the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi.

    According to sources close to Venugopal, he has been asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is “strictly part of organisational matters”.

    He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This is the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today.

    This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president’s post, sources said.

    Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi’s go-ahead after he met her here.

    According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to “make internal democracy” in the party stronger. Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections.

    “Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor gets a nod from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to contest for the post of the party president, after he reached out to her in a meeting today, citing he can make internal democracy stronger. Sonia Gandhi, Congress interim president, replied that he (Shashi Tharoor) can contest (for the post of the party president) if he wants, anybody can contest elections,” said the sources on Monday.

    Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, who got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray.

    Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is “trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi” to contest rather than his own nomination.

    This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party’s president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19.

    ALAPPUZHA: Congress leader KC Venugopal, who is participating in the Kerala leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, departed for the national capital on Tuesday upon the call by the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi.

    According to sources close to Venugopal, he has been asked by Sonia Gandhi to come over to Delhi for a meeting which is “strictly part of organisational matters”.

    He was in the Alappuzha district of Kerala with Rahul Gandhi. This is the first time he has left the Yatra since it began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The yatra entered its 13th day today.

    This comes a day after Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor on Monday received the nod from Sonia Gandhi to contest in the upcoming poll for the party president’s post, sources said.

    Tharoor received interim-party president Sonia Gandhi’s go-ahead after he met her here.

    According to sources, Tharoor, during the meeting, expressed his wish to contest the elections scheduled to be held on October 17 to “make internal democracy” in the party stronger. Gandhi, in response, giving her nod to the Thiruvananthapuram MP, said that anybody can contest elections.

    “Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor gets a nod from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to contest for the post of the party president, after he reached out to her in a meeting today, citing he can make internal democracy stronger. Sonia Gandhi, Congress interim president, replied that he (Shashi Tharoor) can contest (for the post of the party president) if he wants, anybody can contest elections,” said the sources on Monday.

    Ashok Gehlot, who is considered to be close to the Gandhi family, and Shashi Tharoor, who got the nod for the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, have emerged as top probable contenders for the office of the party chief in case Rahul Gandhi decides not to enter the fray.

    Amid speculation that Ashok Gehlot could be running for the party president, the election for which is set to take place next month, sources close to the Rajasthan Chief Minister said that he is “trying to persuade Rahul Gandhi” to contest rather than his own nomination.

    This comes amid the buzz of Gehlot being a leading choice for the party’s president post in the election scheduled to be held on October 17, the result of which will be declared on October 19.

  • Sonia Gandhi to continue as Congress interim president, after  four-hour long CWC meet

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Days after its election debacle in five states, the Congress’ top decision-making body on Sunday brainstormed over the way forward “and “unanimously reaffirmed” faith in the leadership of party President Sonia Gandhi.

    Amid calls for large-scale reforms to revive the party’s dwindling electoral fortunes, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said after the over four-hour meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that the party president will immediately take up corrective measures to revamp and re-strengthen organisation.

    The Congress will hold a Chintan Shivir immediately after the Budget Session of Parliament and the CWC will meet again before that, he told reporters Gandhi listened to all leaders at the CWC meet and said she is willing to make required changes to strengthen the party, sources said.

    “Every single member of the CWC wants Sonia Gandhi to guide party till organisational elections are held,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said.

    The CWC has unanimously reaffirmed faith in the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Venugopal added.

    Former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Venugopal, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and P Chidambaram were among those who attended the Congress Working Committee meeting.

    Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik were the only three from the Group of 23 leaders who participated in the meeting of the CWC, which has a large number of Gandhi family loyalists.

    Congress president Sonia Gandhi listened to all leaders at the CWC meet and said she is willing to make all required changes to strengthen the party, sources said.

    Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot suggested at the CWC meet that a ‘Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session)’ be held by Congress in his state.

    Former prime minister Manmohan Singh did not attend the meeting. Senior party leader A K Antony was also not present as he has contracted Covid.

    The Congress lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party, could not wrest Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur from the BJP and the party’s tally in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh fell to its lowest.

    While Sonia Gandhi has not been actively campaigning for some time, Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had been the star campaigner for the Congress in the polls, with the brother-sister duo also playing a major role in key decisions of the party.

    Despite a high-pitched campaign led by Priyanka Gandhi, the Congress could manage to win only two of the 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh with the vote share plummeting to a meagre 2.33 percent and most of its candidates losing security deposits.

    Ahead of the meeting, the chorus for making Rahul Gandhi Congress president again grew louder as several leaders and workers voiced support for him to take on the mantle of party chief.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said no one was taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Rahul Gandhi does and was fighting resolutely.

    “The prime minister has to start his speech after targeting Rahul Gandhi, you can understand what this means. All of us want that Rahul ji should take on the mantle of party leadership,” Gehlot told reporters.

    Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar also backed the idea to make Gandhi the party chief.

    “As I have said it earlier as well, Sh. Rahul Gandhi should take up the Congress presidency in a full-time role immediately. This is the wish of millions of Congress workers like me,” he tweeted.

    Congress workers from around Delhi, who converged near the party office, were not allowed to enter the AICC headquarter as traffic was held up and the road outside the party office was barricaded by the police.

    A group led by Delhi Congress leaders, including Alka Lamba, voiced support for Rahul Gandhi to lead the party and raised slogans in his and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s favour.

    Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in general elections in 2019.

    Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party again as interim president, had also offered to quit in August 2020 after strong criticism by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.

    Earlier in the day, top Congress leaders discussed the party’s strategy for the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament and decided to work in coordination with other like-minded parties to raise issues of public importance.

    The meeting of the Congress Parliamentary strategy group was held at the residence of party president Sonia Gandhi.

  • KC Venuopal, Ajay Maken’s Jaipur trip strengthens buzz over cabinet rejig in Rajasthan

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: After settling the rift in the Punjab unit, the Congress High Command is all set to resolve the tussle in the Rajasthan Congress. AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Ajay Maken who visited the Rajasthan Congress office on Sunday clearly signalled that the issue of cabinet reshuffle and political appointments in the state would soon be decided by the party’s central leadership.

    Venugopal and Maken held a meeting with PCC president Govind Sigh Dotasra state ministers, MLAs and office bearers of the party in Jaipur. The meeting was also atteded by former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and his group of MLAs who demanded that they be accommodated in the government and various party positions. A number of Pilot supporters also shouted sloans outside the PCC office while the meeting was underway forcing the former deputy chief minister to send out some of his leaders to pacify them.

    While the workers outside seemed in an aggressive mood, AICC general secretary Maken said all the leaders inside have unanimously left the decision of the cabinet reshuffle to the party high command. Though Maken did not disclose a date of the cabinet expansion, he told reporters, “I can say that there is no contradiction among the party leaders and they all have left the final decision about the cabinet expansion to the party high command.”

    Venugopal, Maken and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reportedly held detailed discussions about the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle and other political appointments, according to party sources. “We’re discussing the cabinet expansion, appointment of district and block-level chiefs of Congress and appointments in boards and corporations with our leaders. Everyone has said they would accept what leadership decides,” Maken told the media in Jaipur.

    The’AICC general secretary incharge for Rajasthan also confirmed that he will be back later this month to take first-hand feedback from party MLAs. All Congress MLAs have been asked to be in Jaipur on July 28 and 29 for these one-on-one meetings with Maken and other senior leaders.

    The Rajasthan impasse has been continuing ever since Sachin Pilot, along with 18 MLAs, had rebelled against the leadership of CM Ashok Gehlot last July. Though Pilot had returned to the party fold after Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention, his demands have been pending for almost a year. Last month, some MLAs from Pilot camp had said that the party should fulfil the promises made to Pilot. And in recent days, the demand for cabinet expansion and political appointments has gained considerable momentum.

    The Rajasthan cabinet can have a maximum of 30 ministers but currently it has 21 members in the council of ministers, including the Chief Minister. Besides the nine slots that are vacant in the Gehlot ministry, several key appointments of office bearers in the state and district Congress units are also pending for a long time.

  • Congress high command to take final call on Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: A final decision on the issue of cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan has been left to the Congress high command and the expansion is likely to be held in the next few days, party sources said.

    AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken late on Saturday night held discussions on the issues of cabinet reshuffle and political appointments with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence.

    The cabinet expansion is likely to be held in the next few days.

    After discussions, the leaders have left the final decision about the reshuffle to the party high command, the sources said.

    “The meeting lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours during which discussion on cabinet reshuffle and political appointments were held. The final decision about the reshuffle has been left to the party high command,” the sources told PTI.

    At present, there are 21 members in the council of ministers, including chief minister, and nine slots are vacant.

    Rajasthan can have a maximum of 30 ministers.

    After Punjab, the party high command has shifted its focus to Rajasthan, where demands for Cabinet expansion and political appointments have gained momentum after reports of resentment in the camp led by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who along with 18 MLAs had rebelled against the leadership of Gehlot last year.

    Three days back, Pilot had indicated that the Congress would take suitable steps soon to address issues raised by him.

    He had said that he is in touch with the party high command over the issues raised by him and hoped that the required steps would be taken soon.

    Pilot was sacked as the deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief in July last year after he rebelled against the leadership of Gehlot.

    After a one-month-long political crisis, the party high command announced to form a three-member committee to look into the issues raised by him.

    Last month, MLAs from the Pilot camp said that the party should fulfil the promises made to Pilot last month, following which the demand for Cabinet expansion and political appointments gained momentum.

    During the meeting on Saturday night, “It was also decided that political appointments in various boards and corporations should take place as soon as possible with discussion and consensus of elected public representatives, state office bearers and senior leaders of the party,” the sources said.

    It was also decided that the manifesto committee of AICC will hold a meeting to review the progress in the implementation of the party manifesto of Rajasthan.

    The committee chairman will visit the state later this month, the sources added.

    PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra said that Venugopal and Maken will hold meeting with party MLAs here on Sunday. He also clarified that no meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has been convened on Sunday.

  • No Covid deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states: Centre

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday informed the Parliament that no state had specifically reported any deaths due to oxygen shortage during the second wave of Covid pandemic in India.  

    In response to an unstarred question by Congress MP KC Venugopal, the Union Health Ministry said that while health is a state subject, all states report cases and deaths to it on a regular basis, as per detailed guidelines for reporting deaths.

    “No deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states/UTs,” said the ministry in its written response.

    Further, the ministry stressed that the Centre supported the states and undertook a series of actions including provisioning medical oxygen, and other consumables to ensure clinical care of Covid patients in view of the steep rise of the case trajectory in the country during April and May this year. 

    It also told the upper House that it had to step in to facilitate equitable distribution of oxygen to the states. 

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    The supply of medical oxygen to hospitals is determined by contractual arrangements between the concerned hospital and the medical oxygen supplier, said the ministry.

    However, due to the unprecedented surge in demand for medical oxygen during the second wave, the demand in the country peaked at nearly 9000 MT as compared to 3095 MT during the first wave and the Union government had to step in to facilitate equitable distribution to the states.

    In a separate but related development, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandawiya underlined that the government’s job was to publish the data submitted by the states and that they didn’t ask anyone to show lesser figures. 

    “Centre compiles and publishes the data sent in by state governments. Our work is to publish that data, and nothing else. We haven’t told anyone to show fewer numbers (of deaths) or less positive cases. There’s no reason for that. The PM had said the same in meetings with CMs,” said the newly appointed health minister.

    Meanwhile, Venugopal in a party press conference later charged the government of “misleading” the Parliament. 

    “The government has given a reply today that nobody in the country died due to a shortage of oxygen. In every state, we saw how many patients died due to lack of oxygen. We know. The Minister misled the House. We will move a privilege motion against that minister (Mandawiya),” said the Congress leader.