News Analysis India

Tag: Mallikarjun Kharge

  • Kharge steps in, set to win with backing of Congress big guns 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Internal Congress elections took a dramatic turn on Friday with its veteran Dalit face Mallikarjun Kharge entering the race for the party’s president on the last day of filing of nomination papers. He is 80 and has the support of top party stalwarts and the backing of the Gandhi family, making his victory in the October 17 election a foregone conclusion. 

    Senior rebel leaders, known as the G-23, deserted Kharge’s rival candidate Shashi Tharoor, who was till recently part of their group. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan and Manish Tiwari were among the G-23 leaders who signed Kharge’s nomination form. They were also present at the Congress headquarters in his support when he arrived to file his nomination papers. 

    After filing his nomination papers, Kharge told reporters, “I thank senior leaders from all states for supporting me in the Congress presidential election…I am fighting for a big change in the party.” This newspaper was the first to reveal that the Congress will elect a non-Gandhi as party president. The nominations for the polls closed on Friday and members of the Gandhi family stayed away from the process.

    Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh backed out after Kharge’s name was announced and it became clear that the latter had the party leadership’s support. Digvijaya signed Kharge’s nomination and accompanied him to the AICC office.

    Sources said Kharge will soon resign from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha in keeping with the party’s rule of one-person-one-post. The party leadership had earlier asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to fight the election but he declined after his loyalist MLAs refused to authorise party president Sonia Gandhi to choose his successor as CM. Sonia will now decide whether or not he would continue as CM after his failure to control the revolt against the central leadership.

    ‘Status quo vs change’In a message to party voters, Shashi Tharoor said, “go with Kharge if you want status quo, if you want change, come with me.” He called Kharge as the candidate of continuity. 

    NEW DELHI: Internal Congress elections took a dramatic turn on Friday with its veteran Dalit face Mallikarjun Kharge entering the race for the party’s president on the last day of filing of nomination papers. He is 80 and has the support of top party stalwarts and the backing of the Gandhi family, making his victory in the October 17 election a foregone conclusion. 

    Senior rebel leaders, known as the G-23, deserted Kharge’s rival candidate Shashi Tharoor, who was till recently part of their group. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan and Manish Tiwari were among the G-23 leaders who signed Kharge’s nomination form. They were also present at the Congress headquarters in his support when he arrived to file his nomination papers. 

    After filing his nomination papers, Kharge told reporters, “I thank senior leaders from all states for supporting me in the Congress presidential election…I am fighting for a big change in the party.” This newspaper was the first to reveal that the Congress will elect a non-Gandhi as party president. The nominations for the polls closed on Friday and members of the Gandhi family stayed away from the process.

    Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh backed out after Kharge’s name was announced and it became clear that the latter had the party leadership’s support. Digvijaya signed Kharge’s nomination and accompanied him to the AICC office.

    Sources said Kharge will soon resign from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha in keeping with the party’s rule of one-person-one-post. The party leadership had earlier asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to fight the election but he declined after his loyalist MLAs refused to authorise party president Sonia Gandhi to choose his successor as CM. Sonia will now decide whether or not he would continue as CM after his failure to control the revolt against the central leadership.

    ‘Status quo vs change’
    In a message to party voters, Shashi Tharoor said, “go with Kharge if you want status quo, if you want change, come with me.” He called Kharge as the candidate of continuity. 

  • Congress conundrum: Gehlot stays closeted with his confidantes at Jaipur; delays meeting Sonia

    Express News Service

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remained closeted with his confidantes in Jaipur on Wednesday thereby delaying his meeting with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by a day while Rahul Gandhi contiued with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    Gehlot was originally scheduled to leave Jaipur at 5.30 PM on Wednesday. But his departure was delayed. “The Chief Minister is going to Delhi at 5-5.30 pm today to express the feelings of 102 MLAs, as their guardian, with the party leadership and organisation,” cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters after a meeting with the chief minister.

    Besides Khachariyawas, Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, Minister Shanti Dhariwal, and Mahesh Joshi also met the chief minister.

    Gehlot reached Delhi late on Wednesday late night. He is expected to meet Sonia today.Gehlot appears to be on the offensive despite the High Command reportedly bracing up to crack the whip on Gehlot loyalists’ and ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi. The two spearheaded the protest against signing the resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new Chief Minister after Gehlot files the nomination papers for the party presidential polls. Gehlot and his loyalists are figjting tooth and nail the high command’s move to make Sachin Pilot as Rajasthan Chief Minister if Gehlot goes on to become party president.

    Gehlot is not averse to giving up chief ministership and entering the presidential race. But he does not want to hand over charge in the state to Pilot. He says he would hand over the chief ministership to anyone from the 102 MLAs who had stayed loyal to the party when Pilot had walked out, but not the latter.

    As suspense over whether or not Gehlot would agree to resign from the post of chief minister to file the nomination continues, names of many Congress leaders who are likely aspirants for the post have started doing the rounds. Among them are the party’s top Dalit leaders including, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Haryana president of Congress Kumari Selja.

    ALSO READ| Rajasthan political crisis: Congress in a quandary even as it shows Gehlot his place

    Gandhi family loyalists Ambika Soni, who is considered close to Sonia Gandhi, and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh, who shares a close personal equation with Rahul Gandhi, are also among the frontrunners. Party treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s name is also being mentioned as a possible contender for the post after he took a nomination form from the Congress office.

    On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi consulted senior party leaders Ambika Soni and A K Antony, who was called from Kerala where he is leading a retired life, on the Rajasthan crisis. She was advised to meet Gehlot one last time to try and iron out the differences.

    The two central observers – Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge – have shielded Gehlot in their report after returning from Jaipur where they were not able to meet the party MLAs loyal to the chief minister. These MLAs are opposed to the leadership’s plan to replace Gehlot with his former deputy Sachin Pilot and refused to sign a resolution authorising the party president to choose Gehlot’s successor.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remained closeted with his confidantes in Jaipur on Wednesday thereby delaying his meeting with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by a day while Rahul Gandhi contiued with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    Gehlot was originally scheduled to leave Jaipur at 5.30 PM on Wednesday. But his departure was delayed. “The Chief Minister is going to Delhi at 5-5.30 pm today to express the feelings of 102 MLAs, as their guardian, with the party leadership and organisation,” cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told reporters after a meeting with the chief minister.

    Besides Khachariyawas, Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, Minister Shanti Dhariwal, and Mahesh Joshi also met the chief minister.

    Gehlot reached Delhi late on Wednesday late night. He is expected to meet Sonia today.
    Gehlot appears to be on the offensive despite the High Command reportedly bracing up to crack the whip on Gehlot loyalists’ and ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Mahesh Joshi. The two spearheaded the protest against signing the resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new Chief Minister after Gehlot files the nomination papers for the party presidential polls. Gehlot and his loyalists are figjting tooth and nail the high command’s move to make Sachin Pilot as Rajasthan Chief Minister if Gehlot goes on to become party president.

    Gehlot is not averse to giving up chief ministership and entering the presidential race. But he does not want to hand over charge in the state to Pilot. He says he would hand over the chief ministership to anyone from the 102 MLAs who had stayed loyal to the party when Pilot had walked out, but not the latter.

    As suspense over whether or not Gehlot would agree to resign from the post of chief minister to file the nomination continues, names of many Congress leaders who are likely aspirants for the post have started doing the rounds. Among them are the party’s top Dalit leaders including, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Haryana president of Congress Kumari Selja.

    ALSO READ| Rajasthan political crisis: Congress in a quandary even as it shows Gehlot his place

    Gandhi family loyalists Ambika Soni, who is considered close to Sonia Gandhi, and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh, who shares a close personal equation with Rahul Gandhi, are also among the frontrunners. Party treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal’s name is also being mentioned as a possible contender for the post after he took a nomination form from the Congress office.

    On Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi consulted senior party leaders Ambika Soni and A K Antony, who was called from Kerala where he is leading a retired life, on the Rajasthan crisis. She was advised to meet Gehlot one last time to try and iron out the differences.

    The two central observers – Ajay Maken and Mallikarjun Kharge – have shielded Gehlot in their report after returning from Jaipur where they were not able to meet the party MLAs loyal to the chief minister. These MLAs are opposed to the leadership’s plan to replace Gehlot with his former deputy Sachin Pilot and refused to sign a resolution authorising the party president to choose Gehlot’s successor.

  • Sonia seeks report on Jaipur rebellion, Gehlot less likely now to be party president

    By PTI

    JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: Upset over an open rebellion in Rajasthan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday sought a written report on it from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.

    Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi in the evening after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.

    They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

    Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president.

    The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.

    On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.

    Both Gehlot and Pilot spent the day at their Jaipur homes. Pilot met his supporters, but they refrained from publicly commenting on Sunday’s developments. Gehlot performed a Navratri puja.

    Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post.

    Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.

    But the drama put a question mark on whether Gehlot would still run for the party president’s post or someone else would replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.

    Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.

    Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate.

    He has reportedly stepped in as a troubleshooter for his party. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday.

    After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.

    AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.

    “Kharge ji and I have apprised the Congress president of the CLP meeting in Rajasthan. The Congress president has sought a written report on the entire chronology, which we will submit by late night or tomorrow,” Maken said.

    “When a CLP meeting is held, holding a parallel meeting of MLAs is prima facie indiscipline,” he said.

    Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.

    “In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.

    “The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution.

    He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”.

    He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.

    One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.

    In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election.

    “If this is not a conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.

    Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.

    Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.

    “The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.

    Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action.

    They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.

    JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: Upset over an open rebellion in Rajasthan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday sought a written report on it from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.

    Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi in the evening after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.

    They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

    Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president.

    The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.

    On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.

    Both Gehlot and Pilot spent the day at their Jaipur homes. Pilot met his supporters, but they refrained from publicly commenting on Sunday’s developments. Gehlot performed a Navratri puja.

    Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post.

    Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.

    But the drama put a question mark on whether Gehlot would still run for the party president’s post or someone else would replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.

    Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.

    Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate.

    He has reportedly stepped in as a troubleshooter for his party. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday.

    After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.

    AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.

    “Kharge ji and I have apprised the Congress president of the CLP meeting in Rajasthan. The Congress president has sought a written report on the entire chronology, which we will submit by late night or tomorrow,” Maken said.

    “When a CLP meeting is held, holding a parallel meeting of MLAs is prima facie indiscipline,” he said.

    Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.

    “In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.

    “The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution.

    He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”.

    He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.

    One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.

    In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election.

    “If this is not a conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.

    Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.

    Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.

    “The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.

    Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action.

    They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM. In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.

  • Power Games: Ashok Gehlot risks losing Congress presidential nomination over Chief Minister’s post

    Express News Service

    Leadership tussleAshok Gehlot risks losing Congress presidential nomination over Chief Minister’s post

    Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has dug in his heels over not allowing Sachin Pilot to replace him as state chief minister. Battle lines are drawn between him and the Gandhi family with MLAs loyal to him refusing to sign the resolution authorising party’s central leadership to pick his replacement in the event of his election as Congress president. Interim president Sonia Gandhi had sent AICC general secretary Ajay Maken and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge to Jaipur to get party MLAs to sign the resolution. But MLAs loyal to Gehlot have refused to sign on the dotted lines. They insist that the new chief minister should be from among the 102 MLAs who had refused to bring the state government down when Sachin Pilot had walked out with a bunch of his loyal MLAs to form a government with the help of the BJP. Gehlot’s loyal MLAs, numbering about a 100, have threatened to resign rather than support Sachin. Gehlot has not reacted to this open rebellion by his supporters. Sources said the Gehlot camp’s action has not gone down well with the party high command. They said the party leadership is rethinking fielding Gehlot as a candidate for the post of party president. Gehlot had earlier said that his resignation as chief minister before getting elected as party president would indicate that the election result was pre-determined, and the party poll was not really a democratic exercise. He said let there be a fair election, and once he gets elected as president, he would resign as chief minister. Sonia and Rahul are keen on handing over the chief ministership to Sachin Pilot. 

    2024 Semi-finalsEC to announce Gujarat, HP poll dates on Oct 15

    The Election Commission of India is likely to sound the poll bugle for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on October 15, unlike last time when it had announced the poll dates for the two states separately in spite of the fact that the term of the two assemblies expired within a gap of two weeks. EC officials are likely to visit Gujarat on September 26 to check the poll preparedness of the state. The EC team has already visited Himachal Pradesh. The last assembly elections in Gujarat were held in December 2017, and the schedule is likely to remain the same this time. The election in Gujarat is being keenly watched as the new entrant – Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party – is threatening to eat into the votes of both the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has a strong presence in the urban centres, and has been in power since 1998. The Congress, however, continues to have a large following in the rural areas in spite of not being in power for over two decades. In the last state elections, the BJP polled 49.1 % and won 99 seats, while the Congress got 41.4% and won 77 seats. The AAP remained a non-starter with 0.1% votes and without a seat. Kejriwal has, however, launched a high-voltage campaign in Gujarat this year striking fear in both the BJP and the Congress, not because they think he will win but because they do not know who he will harm more. 

    Accommodation issuesPM’s meeting with Digambar Kamat stirs Goa POT

    Seven-time Goa MLA and former chief minister of the state Digambar Kamat flew into the national capital and was locked in a two-and-half-hour meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence last week. Though not many know about this one-on-one meeting, those in the know say Kamat may be given an important assignment either in the state or at the Centre. They say he has had excellent relations with Modi from the time he was in the BJP. He recently led eight out of the eleven Congress MLAs into the BJP. There are reports of an imminent ministry reshuffle to accommodate the new entrants in the state government. Sources close to Kamat say the former chief minister and veteran MLA is too senior to be asked to join as a minister. They say that he has been assured that he will get his due for decimating the Congress in the state legislature. While Kamat getting the state chief ministership is not ruled out, the chances of him being brought to the centre as a minister in the next reshuffle are stronger, sources say.

    Leadership tussle
    Ashok Gehlot risks losing Congress presidential nomination over Chief Minister’s post

    Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has dug in his heels over not allowing Sachin Pilot to replace him as state chief minister. Battle lines are drawn between him and the Gandhi family with MLAs loyal to him refusing to sign the resolution authorising party’s central leadership to pick his replacement in the event of his election as Congress president. Interim president Sonia Gandhi had sent AICC general secretary Ajay Maken and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge to Jaipur to get party MLAs to sign the resolution. But MLAs loyal to Gehlot have refused to sign on the dotted lines. They insist that the new chief minister should be from among the 102 MLAs who had refused to bring the state government down when Sachin Pilot had walked out with a bunch of his loyal MLAs to form a government with the help of the BJP. Gehlot’s loyal MLAs, numbering about a 100, have threatened to resign rather than support Sachin. Gehlot has not reacted to this open rebellion by his supporters. Sources said the Gehlot camp’s action has not gone down well with the party high command. They said the party leadership is rethinking fielding Gehlot as a candidate for the post of party president. Gehlot had earlier said that his resignation as chief minister before getting elected as party president would indicate that the election result was pre-determined, and the party poll was not really a democratic exercise. He said let there be a fair election, and once he gets elected as president, he would resign as chief minister. Sonia and Rahul are keen on handing over the chief ministership to Sachin Pilot. 

    2024 Semi-finals
    EC to announce Gujarat, HP poll dates on Oct 15

    The Election Commission of India is likely to sound the poll bugle for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on October 15, unlike last time when it had announced the poll dates for the two states separately in spite of the fact that the term of the two assemblies expired within a gap of two weeks. EC officials are likely to visit Gujarat on September 26 to check the poll preparedness of the state. The EC team has already visited Himachal Pradesh. The last assembly elections in Gujarat were held in December 2017, and the schedule is likely to remain the same this time. The election in Gujarat is being keenly watched as the new entrant – Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party – is threatening to eat into the votes of both the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has a strong presence in the urban centres, and has been in power since 1998. The Congress, however, continues to have a large following in the rural areas in spite of not being in power for over two decades. In the last state elections, the BJP polled 49.1 % and won 99 seats, while the Congress got 41.4% and won 77 seats. The AAP remained a non-starter with 0.1% votes and without a seat. Kejriwal has, however, launched a high-voltage campaign in Gujarat this year striking fear in both the BJP and the Congress, not because they think he will win but because they do not know who he will harm more. 

    Accommodation issues
    PM’s meeting with Digambar Kamat stirs Goa POT

    Seven-time Goa MLA and former chief minister of the state Digambar Kamat flew into the national capital and was locked in a two-and-half-hour meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence last week. Though not many know about this one-on-one meeting, those in the know say Kamat may be given an important assignment either in the state or at the Centre. They say he has had excellent relations with Modi from the time he was in the BJP. He recently led eight out of the eleven Congress MLAs into the BJP. There are reports of an imminent ministry reshuffle to accommodate the new entrants in the state government. Sources close to Kamat say the former chief minister and veteran MLA is too senior to be asked to join as a minister. They say that he has been assured that he will get his due for decimating the Congress in the state legislature. While Kamat getting the state chief ministership is not ruled out, the chances of him being brought to the centre as a minister in the next reshuffle are stronger, sources say.

  • Kharge writes to Naidu for expunging remarks by Sitharaman, Goyal on Sonia in RS

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, requesting him to expunge the remarks made by Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal on Sonia Gandhi in the House.

    Kharge also demanded that the ministers should tender their apology for violating the conventions of the House.

    His letter came a day after Sitharaman and Goyal attacked Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his “rashtrapatni” remark while referring to President Droupadi Murmu.

    Both the ministers also hit out at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and demanded an apology from her.

    In his letter, Kharge said as per Parliamentary practices and conventions critical remarks should not be made on the other House or members of the other House.

    He also cited a ruling made by former RS Chairman R Venkataraman on April 15, 1987, wherein he observed that “No person who is not a member of this House can be referred to in the House in a derogatory manner or in any other way affecting his reputation”.

    The senior Congress leader said even the question of privilege cannot be raised directly in one house against members of the other House.

    In this regard, he said, a procedure has been laid down based on a report of Joint Sitting of Committees of Privileges of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha which was presented to both Houses on August 23, 1954 and later adopted by the Houses in December, 1954.

    “As per this procedure, when a question of breach of privilege or contempt of the House is raised in either of the House in which a member, officer or servant of the other House is involved, the procedure followed is that the Presiding Officer of the House in which the question of privilege is raised, refers the case to the Presiding Officer of the other House”, Kharge said.

    He said he mentioned this procedure to emphasise the sanctity of sovereignty of each House of Parliament and its members.

    “Hence mentioning and making remarks in regard to a member of the Lower House in the Upper House is a gross violation of the time-honoured conventions. Needless to mention, as Chairman of this august House, your good self would appreciate the need for adherence to well-established Parliamentary conventions and practices,” he said.

    “In view of my aforementioned submissions, I request you to kindly expunge the remarks made by Sitharaman and Goyal vis-a-vis Smt Sonia Gandhi in the House yesterday, 28 July, 2022. I also request that they tender their apology for their violation of sacrosanct conventions of the House,” Kharge said in his letter.

    On Thursday, the row over Chowdhury’s “rashtrapatni” remark escalated with the opposition party accusing BJP MPs of subjecting its president to “brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation” in the Lok Sabha.

    Demanding an apology from the Congress president, the finance minister had said Sonia Gandhi appointed Chowdhury as the leader in Lok Sabha to speak and he had insulted the President.

    NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, requesting him to expunge the remarks made by Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal on Sonia Gandhi in the House.

    Kharge also demanded that the ministers should tender their apology for violating the conventions of the House.

    His letter came a day after Sitharaman and Goyal attacked Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his “rashtrapatni” remark while referring to President Droupadi Murmu.

    Both the ministers also hit out at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and demanded an apology from her.

    In his letter, Kharge said as per Parliamentary practices and conventions critical remarks should not be made on the other House or members of the other House.

    He also cited a ruling made by former RS Chairman R Venkataraman on April 15, 1987, wherein he observed that “No person who is not a member of this House can be referred to in the House in a derogatory manner or in any other way affecting his reputation”.

    The senior Congress leader said even the question of privilege cannot be raised directly in one house against members of the other House.

    In this regard, he said, a procedure has been laid down based on a report of Joint Sitting of Committees of Privileges of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha which was presented to both Houses on August 23, 1954 and later adopted by the Houses in December, 1954.

    “As per this procedure, when a question of breach of privilege or contempt of the House is raised in either of the House in which a member, officer or servant of the other House is involved, the procedure followed is that the Presiding Officer of the House in which the question of privilege is raised, refers the case to the Presiding Officer of the other House”, Kharge said.

    He said he mentioned this procedure to emphasise the sanctity of sovereignty of each House of Parliament and its members.

    “Hence mentioning and making remarks in regard to a member of the Lower House in the Upper House is a gross violation of the time-honoured conventions. Needless to mention, as Chairman of this august House, your good self would appreciate the need for adherence to well-established Parliamentary conventions and practices,” he said.

    “In view of my aforementioned submissions, I request you to kindly expunge the remarks made by Sitharaman and Goyal vis-a-vis Smt Sonia Gandhi in the House yesterday, 28 July, 2022. I also request that they tender their apology for their violation of sacrosanct conventions of the House,” Kharge said in his letter.

    On Thursday, the row over Chowdhury’s “rashtrapatni” remark escalated with the opposition party accusing BJP MPs of subjecting its president to “brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation” in the Lok Sabha.

    Demanding an apology from the Congress president, the finance minister had said Sonia Gandhi appointed Chowdhury as the leader in Lok Sabha to speak and he had insulted the President.

  • Presidential polls: Meeting of opposition leaders postponed to July 17, says Mallikarjun Kharge

    By Express News Service

    KALABURAGI: The meeting of the leaders of like-minded opposition parties scheduled to be held on July 13 to discuss the strategies to be adopted for the Presidential Elections has been postponed to July 17, said the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge here on Monday.

    Speaking to media persons, Kharge said the date of the meeting has been postponed because of the preoccupations of several opposition leaders. They will join the meeting personally or through online conferences or through WhatsApp, he said.

    Replying to a question, he said JMM has not yet made its stand clear. AAP has assured the former chief minister of Maharashtra that it would support the candidate of opposition parties Yashwant Sinha. Janata Dal (S) has already announced that it will make a decision on whom to support in its Parliamentary Committee Meeting.  After all, winning or losing in the Presidential Elections is secondary. It is an ideological fight to protect the democracy in the country. To protect democracy in the country, unity among the opposition parties is necessary, he said.

    Reacting to the political developments in Srilanka, the senior Congress leader said that the developments in the neighboring country Srilanka are unfortunate. If there is a good rule in our neighboring countries, we would be happy. The Indian Government has maintained good relations with Srilanka for many decades, he said. Kharge said that he would not comment on the internal crises of Sri Lanka. Our country should maintain good relations with the democratically elected government, he said.

    When asked whether India too will face similar economic crises like that of Sri Lanka in future, Kharge said that he does not want to compare the economic situations of India with Sri Lanka. But his senior leader Rahul Gandhi and he himself have told many times that the economic condition of India is not good and inflation is on the rise. We have warned the Prime Minister also. But he has not bothered. Our country should learn lessons from the happenings in Sri Lanka and Japan, he said. Kharge said that he nad his party condemns the murder of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was a good man and has given good governance in Japan when he was the Prime Minister, Kharge said.

    The leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha criticised the NDA government as “anti-people.”

    “They announced Ujwala Yojana. Now, what is the fate of the beneficiaries of the scheme? The union government launched Agnipath Yojana. What should the people who worked as Agniveers do after completion of their tenure?” he questioned. 

  • Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Mallikarjun Kharge to evolve President consensus

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday fobbed off requests from several parties to become the joint Opposition candidate for the forthcoming Presidential polls, at a two-hour meeting called by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee here. Mamata set the ball rolling by proposing his name and getting the concurrence of several others. But Pawar politely declined.

    The meeting that had representation from 18 Opposition parties urged him to reconsider his decision. But Pawar sought to put a lid on it, taking to his Twitter handle later to say: “I sincerely appreciate the leaders of opposition parties for suggesting my name as a candidate for the election of the President of India, at the meeting.

    However, I like to state that I have humbly declined the proposal of my candidature.” The meeting adopted a unanimous resolution to field a common Opposition candidate in the Presidential elections. It decided to tentatively meet again on June 21, informed CPI MP Binoy Viswam. Mamata, Pawar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge were authorised to consult other parties to evolve a consensus on the matter.

    With Pawar shutting the door, sources said Mamata suggested the names of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and retired diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi for consideration as alternative candidates. The suggestion was met with a stony silence, an opposition MP informed. Kharge said his party has no particular name in mind but will sit with others to play a constructive role to arrive at a consensus if Pawar continues declining the offer.

    Mamata said she will consult other parties that could not make it to the meeting, like AAP, SAD, AIMIM, TRS and BJD. Parallelly, BJP leader Rajnath Singh called up Opposition leaders like Kharge, Mamata and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to build a national consensus on the Presidential elections. He also spoke to JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar.

    Sources said Opposition leaders sought to know the NDA nominee for the high post. BJP chief J P Nadda, too worked the phones, to reach out to leaders of parties like the BJD, YSR Cong, JD(U), RJD, TRS, DMK and others with whom he is has good rapport.

    Too premature to comment: Gandhi“It is too premature to comment,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi, said when asked about his candidature. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and was the consensus opposition pick for Vice President in 2017

  • ‘Didn’t use force’: Delhi cops dismiss claims of ‘atrocities’ against Congress leaders, workers

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday detained 459 Congress workers and senior leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K C Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge, for not following police directions for the maintenance of law and order in the national capital, officials said.

    They also said that allegations of manhandling, injuries to protesting Congress leaders during police action will be diligently looked into.

    Hundreds of Congress workers in Delhi took to the streets and several senior leaders were detained amid a massive show of strength by the party which had called for the Satyagraha march against the ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper.

    The opposition party alleged that some of its leaders were manhandled by the police and lashed out at the government for “not allowing” peaceful protests.

    Despite being denied permission, Congress gathered for the protest in different parts of Delhi on Monday.

    They were detained from the Akbar Road, where the Congress headquarter is situated, Q Point APJ Kalam Road and Man Sing Road and taken to the Mandir Marg, Tughlak Road and Fatehpur Beri police stations respectively.

    However, police said that entry of 100 senior leaders and staff of the All India Congress Committee was allowed into the party headquarters through the Akbar Road and Maulana Azad Road roundabout whose list was to be provided in advance.

    ALSO READ | National Herald case: Top Congress leaders, workers march in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi

    The Delhi Police said 15 Lok Sabha MPs, including Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, 11 Rajya Sabha members, including K C Venugopal and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, five MLAs of different states and party functionaries were among the 459 people detained in the New Delhi district for not following lawful directions of police for maintenance of law and order.

    All woman workers and functionaries of the Congress detained by the police have been released and suitable legal action is being taken against those who violated orders promulgated under CrPC section 144, a senior police official said.

    “Complaints have been received about injuries to Congress leaders and workers during police action. But no such incident of use of force by police took place as per our knowledge and no MLC case has been reported so far,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Zone -II Delhi).

    “Still, if there are allegations of some manhandling during the detention the same will diligently be looked into for appropriate action,” he said.

    According to the police statement, adequate arrangements were made over apprehensions that a huge gathering of Congress leaders and workers may disturb the security and safety of the VIPs, ED office its officers, neighbouring offices, residences and the public, etc.

    “CrPC section 144 is already in force with effect from May 24 this year in the area thereby prohibiting the holding of any public meeting, processions and demonstration,” it said.

    The AICC secretary, in a letter to the police, had assured that a crowd will not accompany Rahul Gandhi to the ED office.

    But as soon as Gandhi left 24 Akbar Road for the ED office, Congress leaders, functionaries and workers accompanied him in the form of a procession, the statement said.

    Rahul Gandhi was questioned for over nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering probe linked to the National Herald newspaper and was called to depose again on Tuesday, as his party protested across the country, alleging that the Centre was targeting the Opposition by misusing agencies.

    Gandhi, who appeared before a central probe agency for the first time for questioning, arrived at the ED office at 11.10 am on Monday accompanied by a battery of leaders including sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and escorted by armed CRPF personnel.

    He was given an 80-minute break in the afternoon and was at the ED office till past 10 pm.

    Hundreds of Congress workers in Delhi and state capitals took to the streets and several senior leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal, were detained here amid a massive show of strength by the party which had called for the Satyagraha march against the ED summons.

    The principal opposition party alleged that the Delhi police made a “murderous attack” on its leader Venugopal and others, with former home minister P Chidambaram and Pramod Tiwari sustaining hairline rib fracture.

    ALSO READ | ‘Congress welcomed ED grilling of Abhishek Banerjee, it should do so for Rahul’: Trinamool

    Lashing out at the government for “not allowing”‘ peaceful protest, Congress leaders said they would not kowtow to the Modi government and vowed to continue their agitation.

    The BJP hit back at the Congress, accusing its leaders of putting pressure on the ED, supporting corruption and protecting the alleged assets worth Rs 2,000 crore of the Gandhi family.

    Noting that nobody is above the law “not even Rahul Gandhi”, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani claimed that never before such a blatant attempt was made by a political family to hold a probe agency to ransom to protect its “ill-gotten” assets.

    Gandhi, 51, went from the party headquarters on Akbar Road to the ED office in central Delhi a few kilometres away in a convoy of seven cars after walking for some distance with his supporters.

    After about two-and-a-half hours, he left the ED office for a lunch break during which he met his mother Sonia Gandhi at the Gangaram Hospital, where she has been admitted, and returned at 3.30 pm.

    Officials said the questioning on Monday continued well past 9 pm and he has been asked to appear before the ED again on Tuesday.

    The former Congress president, a Z+ category protectee of the CRPF after the Union government withdrew the Gandhi family’s SPG cover in 2019, is expected to write down his statement, official sources said.

    Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of central Delhi that were heavily barricaded.

    The ED is recording the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    The probe is related to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper, published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

    Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.

    Rahul Gandhi is expected to be grilled about the incorporation of the Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald and the fund transfer within the news media establishment.

    “We are not scared. The Modi government should be ashamed that they have turned central Delhi into a fortress just because our leader is going to the ED with his supporters,” Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV told PTI near the ED office just before he was detained by the police.

    Tempers rose as the day progressed with scenes of slogan shouting and Congress workers jumping barricades and resisting attempts by police to detain them.

    Slogans such as “down down BJP”, and “we want justice” rang out in cities such as Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Guwahati, Jammu, Dehradun and Jaipur.

    The party claimed it was starting Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Satyagraha’, peaceful resistance, again with the march against the Modi government.

    A host of Congress leaders spoke out on the alleged harassment.

    In a statement, the Delhi Police said that 15 members of Lok Sabha including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, 11 members of Rajya Sabha including KC Venugopal and leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, five MLAs of different state assemblies and other functionaries were among the total of 459 detained in the New Delhi district for not following lawful directions of police for maintenance of law and order.

    All woman workers and functionaries detained by police have been released, it said.

    “Some complaints have been received at Tughlak Road police station of New Delhi regarding injuries to congress leaders and workers during police action but no such incident of use of force by police took place as per our knowledge and no MLC case has been reported so far,” said Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Zone -II Delhi).

    “Still, if there are allegations of some manhandling or so during the detention, the same will diligently be looked into for appropriate action,” he said.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot alleged that the government was misusing central probe agencies and this was nothing but “political vendetta”.

    “All leaders from Kerala to Kashmir are being targeted. Democracy is being throttled and we oppose it strongly,” Baghel said.

    Asked whether the party would stage a similar show of strength on June 23 when Sonia Gandhi has been asked to appear before ED, Gehlot said, “The Congress is competent to deal with the situation”.

    “This is a fight for democracy. The government is trying to muzzle the voices of opposition leaders,” added former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat.

    “Now, a satyagraha will take place at every corner,”” he added.

    Surjewala said Congress leaders had done nothing wrong and alleged that “Godse’s descendants fear from the truth and they will not be able to suppress the truth”.

    Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s appearance before the ED, brother-in-law Robert Vadra came out in his support and expressed confidence that he would be exonerated from all “baseless accusations”.

    “I believe the truth will prevail and this harassment of the prevailing dispensation will not have the effect they desire,” he added.

    The Congress party said in a press conference in the morning that all fund movements in this case were legitimate.

    In April, the agency questioned senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.

    ALSO READ | ‘ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi is political vendetta’: Top Congress leaders hit out at Centre

    The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.

    The ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

    Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

    The Delhi High Court in February last year issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response to Swamy’s plea seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court.

    The Gandhis had secured separate bails from the court in 2015 after they furnished personal bonds of Rs 50,000 and one surety.

    They contended in the Delhi High Court that the plea by Swamy was “misconceived and premature”.

    The other accused in the case filed by Swamy are close Gandhi aides Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Despite numbers not in its favour, Oppn likely to put up joint candidate for presidential poll

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The opposition is likely to put up a joint candidate for the July 18 presidential election despite not having numbers on its side and consultations in this regard have already begun.

    Sources said that Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to leaders of some opposition parties and sought their views for a joint opposition candidate who can be fielded.

    Some opposition parties are of the view that they should not give a walkover to the ruling dispensation but put up a fight, the sources said.

    CPI Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam said the Congress had reached out to him to discuss a “common candidate”.

    “Mallikarjun Khargeji called and consulted about a common candidate for the presidential election. I told him that the CPI would support a common candidate with secular credentials and progressive outlook. He replied that Madam Soniaji and the Congress Party also have the same position,” Viswam said in a tweet.

    “Consultations for the presidential election have begun among various opposition parties,” a senior opposition leader told PTI, adding that once a consensus is arrived at, a joint candidate may be put up.

    The BJP-led NDA is comfortably placed to win the presidential election with its vote share touching the 50 per cent mark of the total electors.

    While there are 776 MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, each having 700 votes, there are as many as 4033 legislators in states with different votes who will also elect Ram Nath Kovind’s successor.

    Though the final list of electors will be notified after the bye-elections to three Lok Sabha seats and the Rajya Sabha polls to 16 seats, the NDA has 440 MPs in its favour while the opposition UPA has around 180 MPs, besides 36 MPs of Trinamool Congress who normally support the opposition candidate.

    The Congress and the BJP are likely to win six more Rajya Sabha seats in the June 10 election and the UPA partners may bag three seats more.

    According to rough calculations, the NDA has around 5,35,000 votes out of a total of 10,86,431 votes of all electors. This includes 3,08,000 votes with the support of its MPs along with that of its allies.

    The NDA candidate may get the support of some regional parties including the AIADMK, the BJD and the YSRCP for its candidate in the presidential poll. Among the states, the BJP has the maximum of 56,784 votes from Uttar Pradesh where it has 273 MLAs. Each MLA in Uttar Pradesh has the maximum vote of 208.

    The NDA will get its second-highest votes among states from Bihar where with 127 MLAs, it will get 21,971 votes as each legislator has 173 votes, followed by 18,375 votes from Maharashtra where it has 105 MLAs and each has 175 votes.

    With 131 MLAs, the NDA will get 17,161 votes from Madhya Pradesh, 16,464 votes of 112 MLAs from Gujarat and 15,982 votes of its 122 MLAs in Karnataka.

    The UPA, on the other hand, has a little over 1,50,000 votes from among its MPs and will get around the same number of votes from its legislators in states.

    Opposition candidates in the past too have been getting a little more than 3 lakh votes in the previous elections for the highest post in the country. The value of the vote of a Member of Parliament has gone down to 700 from 708 in the presidential polls this time due to the absence of a legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The value of the vote of an MP in a presidential election is based on the number of elected members in legislative assemblies of states and union territories, including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

    Election will be held on July 18 to elect incumbent Kovind’s successor, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The nominations can be filed after the issue of notification on June 15 till June 29, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference.

  • Mallikarjun Kharge, Bhupesh Baghel appointed observers ahead of Rajya Sabha polls

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed senior party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Bhupesh Baghel, as observers.

    While Kharge has been made the observer for Maharashtra, Baghel and Rajeev Shukla have been made observers for Haryana, and Pawan Kumar Bansal and T S Singh Deo for Rajasthan.

    The Congress is seeking to ensure that its candidates win the Rajya Sabha (RS) elections in Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, while the BJP has put its weight behind independent candidates in Haryana and Rajasthan.

    AICC general secretary Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate from Haryana, where two seats have fallen vacant.

    The Congress and the BJP are likely to get one seat each, but the BJP has backed media baron Kartikeya Sharma as an independent.

    Sharma is the son of Venod Sharma and son-in-law of former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma.

    Both are considered close to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Congress needs 31 votes to win the seat and has as many MLAs.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on cross-voting.

    For the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the Congress has fielded three candidates — Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari.

    While Congress is sure to get two seats, it needs 15 more votes to win the third seat of Tiwari.

    The BJP has fielded its former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari, and backed media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent for the second seat.

    In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the BJP will battle it out for the sixth seat of Rajya Sabha as none of the seven candidates in the fray — four of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and three of the BJP — withdrew their nominations on Friday.

    The Congress has also fielded another candidate Mansoor Ali Khan in Karnataka, where the election will be held on June 10 for four seats.

    Jairam Ramesh is the other Congress candidate.

    The Congress is expecting three seats in Rajasthan and the BJP is expecting one of its own and is supporting an independent and Subhash Chandra for the fourth seat.

    Meanwhile, nearly 70 Congress MLAs from Rajasthan are camping at a hotel in Udaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections to the four seats in which the party fears horse-trading by the opposition BJP, party sources said.

    The Congress, with its 108 MLAs in the state assembly, is set to win two seats.

    After winning the two seats, the party will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.

    On the other hand, the BJP has 71 MLAs in the state assembly and is set to win one seat after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

    The Congress has also shifted its MLAs in Haryana to a resort in Raipur in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh.

    Of the 57 vacancies in Rajya Sabha, 41 candidates in 11 states have so far been elected unopposed.

    The elections will be held for 16 seats in four states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka.