News Analysis India

Tag: Rahul Gandhi

  • 2018 defamation case: Hearing postponed to March 13 as Rahul cites busy schedule

    Sultanpur (UP), A court hearing scheduled on Saturday in the 2018 defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his alleged objectionable remarks targeting Home Minister Amit Shah was postponed to March 13 after the Congress leader’s counsel sought more time saying he was busy with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Gandhi had appeared in the special MP-MLA court on February 20 and was granted bail. The court had then fixed March 2 for the next hearing.

    But on Saturday his lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla sought more time from the court.

    “I have got information that Rahul Gandhi is busy in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Hence, I submitted an application in the court, on which the court has fixed the next hearing for March 13,” Shukla said. Asked if Gandhi will appear in the court on March 13, the advocate said, “I cannot tell right now whether Rahul Gandhi will appear in the court on the next hearing or not, but I will definitely say that Rahul Gandhi respects the court. If the circumstances are right then undoubtedly he will come and record his statement.”

    Santosh Pandey, the advocate of complainant BJP leader Vijay Mishra, said Gandhi’s advocate was asking for one month’s time. “But I opposed”.

    The complaint was filed here against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged indecent remarks against Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections six years ago. Mishra had filed the case on August 4, 2018 over Gandhi’s alleged objectionable comments against Shah made at a press conference in Bengaluru in May that year during the Karnataka elections. The complainant referred to Gandhi’s comment that the BJP claims to believe in honest and clean politics but has a party president who is an “accused” in a murder case. Shah was BJP president when Gandhi made the remark.

    About four years before Gandhi’s remark, a special CBI court in Mumbai discharged Shah in a 2005 fake encounter case when he was a minister of state for home in Gujarat.

    “The BJP is the biggest party of the country. Calling its (then) president a murderer is unjustifiable,” Mishra told reporters on Tuesday. He said Gandhi had skipped several summonses.

    A hearing was conducted on January 18, when Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer appeared in the case for the first time.

    Vijay Mishra is a BJP leader and hails from Hanumanganj of Kotwali Dehat police station in Sultanpur.

    Advocate Santosh Pandey had filed a complaint on behalf of Mishra and the court issued a warrant on December 16, 2023.

  • Zee News-MATRIZE Opinion Poll: NDA Projected To Win Big In 2024 LS Polls, Vote Share Likely To Increase By Over 5% |

    New Delhi: As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near, the whole country is on the edge of their seats to see the political drama that will ensue. The leading parties are ready to battle it out, and the guessing game has started, with the election dates expected to be announced soon. In this context, Zee News and MATRIZE have conducted an opinion poll, which is the first of its kind after the formation of alliances, including the new partners of the NDA and the rise of the opposition’s INDIA bloc.

    The Zee News-MATRIZE Lok Sabha Opinion Poll took place from February 5th to February 27th. It collected opinions from 1,67,843 people across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, comprising 87,000 men and 54,000 women. Moreover, the poll included the opinions of 27,000 first-time voters. The poll results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 per cent. It’s crucial to note that these are not election outcomes but only an opinion poll, and no one should try to sway the elections based on these findings.

    How Many Seats Will NDA-INDIA Get In 2024?

    The Zee News-MATRIZE poll shows that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to win a substantial majority if elections were held today. The NDA is poised to win 377 seats against INDIA bloc’s 93 seats. In 2019 General Elections, the BJP won 351 seats while the UPA secured just 90 Lok Sabha seats.

    What Will Be NDA-INDIA’s Vote Share In 2024 LS Polls?

    NDA’s vote share is likely to hike by over 5 per cent to reach 43.6 per cent in comparison to 2019. In 2019, the alliance got 38.4% of votes. Meanwhile, INDIA bloc may get 27.7 per cent of votes in 2024. The UPA got 26.6% of votes in 2019. A steep decline can be seen in vote percentage of other parties, resulting to their vote share dropping from 35.2 per cent in 2019 to 24.9 per cent in 2024.

    The survey suggests a resounding victory for the NDA in major regions of North, East, and West India. However, the southern states appear to favour the Opposition INDIA bloc, according to the survey results. This difference highlights the regional factors that influence Indian politics.

  • ‘BJP Hatao Desh Bachao’ Akhilesh Yadav Joins Congress In Yatra |

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra. This decision follows Akhilesh’s earlier reluctance to join the yatra until the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress in UP was finalised. As the seat allocations concluded recently, Party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra welcomed Yadav by saying, “Today is a very happy day.”  

    Demonstrating a united front against the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav said that the INDIA bloc, together with the backwards and minorities, will defeat the BJP. He further said that nowadays the challenge is to shield democracy and fulfil the dreams of Dr. BR Ambedkar that the BJP has ruined. “Today, there is only one message to be given Remove BJP, save the country and end the crisis (BJP hatao, desh ko bachao, sankat mitao),” he added.  

    The trio addressed the crowd, with Rahul Gandhi recalling his year-long Yatra, covering 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Rahul said, “Last year, someone told me that ‘you are trying to open a Mohabbat Ki Dukan in Nafrat Ka Bazaar.” He further said that this is what he, along with Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are trying to accomplish.  

    Before reaching Agra, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed the Aligarh division and went through Amroha, Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Hathras. However, Priyanka Gandhi joined the yatra in Aligarh.

  • ‘1st Step Will Be Caste Census…’: Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi Sound Poll Buggle In Uttar Pradesh |

    Congress Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday joined the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by party MP Rahul Gandhi in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. While addressing the crowd the brother-sister duo slammed the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) over various issues, some of the top ones were the caste census and paper leaks in UP Police Constable Examinations.  

    Taking a dig at the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi said that if the majority wants to have the caste census, then the first step after the election will be the caste census. “In this country there are 50% backwards, 15% minorities, 15% Dalit, and 8% Adivasi… How many of these are in media, none… You’ll see them in the list of MGNREGA but not in the big companies,” Gandhi said, adding that 90% of people don’t get any participation. 

    Slamming PM Modi for his political tactics, Rahul said that the Modi government is distracting Indians by launching gimmicks like Bollywood and surgical strikes and ignoring crucial issues like unemployment, paper leaks, and the true well-being of the citizens. He said, “This is what the BJP system is.” He further added that patriots unite the country and do not work to disintegrate it (Deshbhakt mohabbat ki dukaan kholte hain, nafrat ke bazaar nahi chalaate).  

    Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a shot at the rising unemployment rates under the BJP’s rule. “As the BJP’s government is formed in the centre and state, unemployment rates have increased,” she asserted. She linked unemployment to a lack of facilities and persistent paper leaks, making it clear that development hinges on gainful employment. She said that the brass industry is stagnant, there is no development after the BJP’s rule.  

    As the UP Police Constable examinations are scheduled for a re-examination, Priyanka Vadra said that “the 28 lakh students wrote the exam but the paper was leaked.” She said that until the paper leaks are stopped, there will be no development. She urged the voters to cast their votes based on their experiences.

  • Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins Rahul Gandhi in UP's Moradabad as Congress' padyatra resumes

    Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins Rahul Gandhi in UP's Moradabad as Congress' padyatra resumes

  • Congress, AAP Join Hands For Lok Sabha Elections, Reveal Seat-Sharing Deal For 3 States, 2 UTs |

    New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress have forged an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The parties have announced their seat-sharing arrangements for Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana. In Gujarat, the Congress will fight for 24 seats, AAP for 2; in Haryana, the Congress will vie for 9 seats, AAP for one seat; in Delhi, AAP will have the upper hand with four seats, the Congress with 3 seats.

    “Congress will contest on 24 seats out of 26 in Gujarat. AAP will field its candidates on 2 seats – Bharuch and Bhavnagar,” said Mukul Wasnik, Congress general secretary and MP. “In Haryana, which has 10 Lok Sabha seats, Congress will contest on 9. AAP will have its candidates on 1 seat – in Kurukshetra,” he added.

    Delhi | Congress and AAP announce seat-sharing in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh and Goa

    In Delhi (7 seats), Congress to contest on 3 and AAP on 4
    In Gujarat (26 seats), Congress to contest on 24 and AAP on 2 (in Bharuch and Bhavnagar)
    In Haryana (10 seats), Congress to… pic.twitter.com/vCauAdvkUm
    — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2024

    In Delhi, AAP will compete in New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi and East Delhi; the Congress will challenge in Chandni Chowk, North East and North West seats. Wasnik said that after a long discussion, it was agreed that the Congress will contest in the Chandigarh seat. In Goa, the Congress will contest both the Lok Sabha seats.

    The two parties did not comment on Punjab, where AAP had formed a government in 2022 after ousting the Congress. Earlier this month, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal declared that his party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. AAP and Congress, former adversaries in Punjab and Delhi, had contested the Chandigarh mayoral elections in alliance last month and won with the Supreme Court’s intervention.

    “The country is facing a grave situation – the BJP Government is destroying all institutions one by one, the elections are being ‘rigged’ and Opposition leaders are being jailed to win elections, the farmers are being treated unjustly, the people of the country are suffering from unemployment and inflation…the country needs an honest and strong alternative,” said AAP MP Sandeep Pathak after announcing the alliance.

    “With that in mind, we set aside our own political interests and kept the interest of the nation in mind. We came together in this alliance. The country is more important than the party. This election will not be fought as Congress versus AAP, but as INDIA versus BJP,” he added.

  • INDI Alliance Back On Track? Congress Confident Of Seat-Sharing Deal With TMC, AAP Soon |

    New Delhi: The Congress is hopeful of soon finalising the Lok Sabha poll seat-sharing arrangements with INDIA bloc allies AAP and TMC, sources said on Friday, days after the principal opposition party arrived at an understanding with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. Sources said while the talks with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP have almost been concluded, discussions are still underway with the Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.

    The sources expressed hope the leadership would work out a solution soon accommodating the expectations of all parties.The TMC, which is the ruling party in West Bengal, has sought two seats in Assam and one in Meghalaya, which are being discussed. But a senior leader said the Congress is not keen to give away the Meghalaya seat.

    There are 14 seats in Assam and two in Meghalaya. As for the understanding with the AAP, the talks between the two parties are almost over with the AAP contesting four seats in Delhi and the Congress three.However, the sources said the AAP has also sought one seat in Haryana and two in Gujarat which included Bharuch, where the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel hailed from. The AAP has already declared Chaitar Vasava as its candidate on the seat.

    The sources, however, said Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have put his foot down on the seat considering the party is “emotionally attached” to due it being Patel’s home turf. Patel’s son and daughter are seeking a ticket from Bharuch and talks are being held with the AAP leadership to agree to another seat.

    Patel’s son Faisal, who is a contender for the seat, said in a post on X, “Honorable Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, you listened to me and the Bharuch Congress workers.” “By supporting us, I and my fellow Bharuch Congress workers have been honored. I promise you that I will live up to your faith by winning the Bharuch Lok Sabha,” he said indicating that the Bharuch seat would remain with the Congress.

    INDIA bloc parties are together and will fight the polls in alliance, the sources said.A senior party leader also said that seat-sharing talks in Maharashtra are over after top party leadership held discussions with leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in the MVA.

    The sources said a formal announcement is delayed because of seats to be given to Prakash Amvedkar’s party.Meanwhile, AAP leaders also said certain new developments are delaying an official seat-sharing announcement with the Congress.

    The sources claimed the Congress has expressed willingness to contest North East, Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi seats. Earlier, an agreement was reached that the Congress will contest East, North East and Chandni Chowk seats. Udit Raj won from North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate in 2014 polls. He quit the BJP and joined the Congress after being denied a ticket in 2019.

    All the 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi including North West Delhi were currently held by the BJP. Raj is considered as a front runner probable of the Congress from the seat.

    Earlier in the day, AAP general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak in a press conference said that the talks between the two parties are in the “final stages”. Announcements for all the states will be made simultaneously, hopefully “very soon”, he said.Pathak sought to play down the development related to Bharuch seat, saying “its not a big deal.”

    Faisal on Thursday said that if Bharuch Lok Sabha seat went to the AAP, he and other “conscientious” Congress workers will not support its candidate. Pathak said, “We will settle the issue mutually. In an alliance such situations and statements come up. We will address it maturely.”

  • smriti irani griha pravesh: Smriti Irani does Griha Pravesh at new luxurious home in Amethi. See pics and video here

    Union Minister Smriti Irani and her husband, Zubin Irani, performed traditional rituals during the ‘Griha Pravesh’ ceremony at their home in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. A video showing Smriti and her husband performing the rituals has been shared.

    The traditions at Smriti Irani’s new home started on Wednesday. Led by the priest Ashish Maharaj from Ujjain, the housewarming ceremony began. The consecration of the newly installed idols of deities in their new home also took place.

    The ‘Griha Pravesh’ is a customary Hindu ritual performed when someone moves into a new home.

    Irani purchased 11 biswa (1,650 sq yard or 14850 sqft) land in the village of Mawai in Gauriganj Tehsil in 2021 and built a luxurious house, where she has now performed the Griha Pravesh ceremony. In 2019, she announced her plan to construct a permanent residence in the area.

    In 2014, Smriti Irani contested elections in Amethi for the first time but was unsuccessful. However, she ran again in 2019 and emerged victorious against Rahul Gandhi.

    Amethi is known for the heated electoral battles between Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani. Both leaders revisited the constituency ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections. While BJP’s Smriti Irani conducted a Jan Samwad in her area, Rahul Gandhi embarked on his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.Reflecting on her victory over Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by approximately 55,000 votes, Smriti Irani asserted that the resentment of Amethi’s populace towards the Congress leader is palpable. She cited Gandhi’s comments post his victory in Wayanad and the Congress’s abstention from the Ram Temple inauguration as sources of discontent among Amethi residents, evident in the sparse reception he received in the streets.Challenging Rahul Gandhi to contest solely from Amethi in the upcoming elections, Smriti Irani questioned the Congress’s stance on Gandhi’s potential candidacy. In response, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh deferred to the decision of the Central Election Committee, emphasizing Amethi’s significance historically for the party.

    Amethi, once a Congress stronghold, shifted allegiance in 2019 with Rahul’s defeat to Smriti Irani. Previously, Rahul Gandhi had represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha for three terms, winning by a significant margin in 2014 against Irani.

    Despite the Congress’s historical prominence, its electoral prospects in the state have dwindled. In the 2019 elections, the party secured only one seat in Uttar Pradesh—Rae Bareli, represented by Sonia Gandhi until now. However, Sonia Gandhi announced her decision not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls due to health and age-related concerns.

    (Inputs from ANI)

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  • Congress SP news: Worries mount as Congress-SP talks in UP hit a wall

    Seat sharing talks between the Congress and Samajwadi Party in UP for the general elections have hit a wall, casting a serious shadow on the future of the alliance.

    Congress general secretary in charge of organisation KC Venugopal however told media separately that discussions are going on and talks will be finalised at any point of time now.

    Talks had been going on between the two INDIA bloc members for over a month. A day ago, Akhilesh Yadav said he will join Rahul Gandhi’s Nyaya Yatra in Raebareli, scheduled for Tuesday, only once the talks were finalised, triggering hectic parlays between the two parties all of Monday, that went on till late night. SP’s final tally for Congress was 17 seats, six more than the 11 seats Akhilesh Yadav bad announced earlier. However, Congress was firm on getting Moradabad- where SP currently has a sitting MP , as well as Kheri. It is also learnt to have been wanting Dhaurahra in Shahjahanpur- seat of former Congress leader Jitin Prasada, however SP has already announced a candidate for the seat and was unwilling to cede. SP sources said they made some adjustments, for example, agreeing on giving Amroha to Congress, among others but Congress remained dissatisfied.

    “Congress has closed talks from their front,” a SP leader, aware of the talks, said.

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  • Smriti Irani Vs Rahul Gandhi Face-Off In Amethi Today But Will RaGa Contest From UP Seat Again? |

    Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi is on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi today and the current MP from the seat Smriti Irani will also reach her constituency on a four-day tour today. Irani had defeated Gandhi from the seat in the 2019 parliamentary elections. While Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi, he won the Wayanad seat thus retaining his Lok Sabha membership. Now, with the two leaders again touring the hot seat, the question is – whether Rahul Gandhi will again challenge Smriti Irani from the seat.

    Rahul To Contest From Amethi?

    For quite some time, there have been rumours within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi might contest elections from Amethi once again. Not contesting from here may send a wrong message in the Hindi-speaking region. Reacting to the question, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “CEC will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party.”

    With Sonia Gandhi moving to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, the Congress party has shunned its lone Lok Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh. Now, it will be important to see who will be Congress candidates from the Amethi and Raebareli.  

    Smriti’s Challenge From Kerala

    A few days ago, Smriti Irani had said during her visit to Kerala that she sent the current Wayanad MP to the seat from Uttar Pradesh. She urged the voters to ensure that he did not get another opportunity for the seat again. On the other hand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to hold a rally at 4 PM in Babuganj, Amethi. 

    Amethi Remains A Hot Seat

    While Rahul may stay in Amethi for around 12 hours, Irani will stay put in the constituency for four days. This is perhaps the second time when both will be present in Amethi at the same time. However, the possibility of a face-to-face encounter between Rahul and Smriti is low as their schedules are different.

    Smriti usually visits Amethi frequently. This time, she is planning to stay for four days. Smriti will listen to people’s issues through a Jan Samvad program. She will be present at her homecoming program on February 22. Smriti Irani is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi again. She has been consistently criticizing Rahul Gandhi.