Tag: Rahul Gandhi

Last Rites Of Mulayam

Last Rites Of Mulayam In His Ancestral Village Saifai Today

By LokMarg

The final rites of Samajwadi Party patriarch and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will take place at his ancestral village Saifai in Etawah district on Tuesday.

Mulayam Singh passed away on Monday morning at the age of 82 at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. He is survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek.
Several chief ministers along with the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla expected to attend the funeral.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel will represent the Congress at the funeral of a Samajwadi Party veteran, according to sources.

Congress veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge will also participate in the funeral on Tuesday. Kharge is contesting the election of the party president, so he will not join as the party’s official leader.

However, it is not yet clear whether Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka will attend.

Meanwhile, condolences poured in after the demise of the veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences on the demise of veteran politician and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death is an “irreparable loss” to the country.

“The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. ‘Dharti Putra’ Mulayam Ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

Soon after learning about the demise of the Samajwadi Party founder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recollected his relationship with the veteran leader and tweeted, “Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people’s problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia.”

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said, “I express my deepest condolences on the demise of former UP CM & veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav. Despite his old age and deteriorating health, he used to attend Lok Sabha sessions regularly. He served the country staying in various imp positions.”

Mulayam Singh Yadav had seen Uttar Pradesh go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career and remained almost synonymous with the politics of the state. Fondly called “Netaji”, he was well-versed in the politics of the most populous state of India.

National General Secretary, of Samajwadi Party, Ram Gopal Yadav said, “The politics of the country became poor due to the death of Netaji. The way he started politics after his entry into it, and the way he brought the common man to the forefront. Those who did not know the route to Lucknow and Delhi were also made MLAs and MPs.”

Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union government once as the Defence Minister.

He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP.

His career began when he was elected MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party later and is now its president. (ANI)

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Mallikarjun Kharge To Campaign in Gujarat

BJP Scared Of Rahul’s Popularity Due To Bharat Jodo Yatra: Kharge

By LokMarg

Congress Presidential candidate and MP Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “scared” of Rahul Gandhi’s “rising popularity” due to Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“Many people are associating themselves with Rahul Gandhi. BJP is scared after seeing Bharat Jodo Yatra. As Rahul Gandhi’s popularity is increasing, these people’s (popularity) is reducing,” Kharge said.
Earlier today, Kharge had said that he is fighting the Congress Presidential polls because the condition in the country is very “bad” and he wants to “fight” them.

“I want to fight because the condition in the country is bad. Modi and Shah are doing politics where there is no place for Democracy. Agencies like CBI and ED are weakening. To fight them I need to have power. That is why, on the recommendation of delegations, I am fighting the polls,” Kharge said.

Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are up against each other in the race for the post of Congress President.

Digvijaya Singh pulled out from the race earlier and extended his support to Kharge, who he said is a senior and respected leader of the party, and against whom he “cannot think of contesting”.

Singh was the second Congress leader to pull out of the race after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would not contest the elections following the political turmoil in his state.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8. Voting will take place on October 17 and the election results will be declared on October 19.

The MP from Wayanad is currently leading Bharat Jodo Yatra- the 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering as many as 12 states. The Yatra started from Kanyakumari and will end in Kashmir the next year by covering 25 km every day.

According to Congress, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation, and political centralization.

Notably, all the party MPs, leaders, and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets, and ACs are also installed in some of the containers.

The arrangements have been made keeping in view the intense heat and humidity with the change of places.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)

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303: Shashi

Tharoor: I Am A Catalyst Of Change In Cong

By LokMarg

Emphasizing the need to win the trust of the voters again, Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said to revive the party’s presence in the country, he could act as a catalyst of change for the grand old party.

He further offered a piece of advice to BJP saying the ruling party should start preparing to be a part of the opposition ahead of the 2024 General Elections.
Speaking to media persons in Mumbai, the Congress MP said, “Our party needs change and I feel I am the one who will be the catalyst of change.”

“Congress has run the country nicely, we have experienced people (in party)… we need to show our strength to re-win voters. Party needs to be attractive for it, needs to be confident so voters may give us their trust,” said Tharoor.

Suggesting BJP to start preparation for being a part of the Opposition, Congress presidential candidate said, “BJP should start preparing of being a part of the opposition as they will have to sit there after the 2024 elections.”

He further said he wants to make Congress strong for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“My aim is to make the Congress party strong for 2024 as our citizens are unhappy with the Modi government. People want the Opposition to be strong, as inflation is high as well as unemployment and hate speech too. In 2014 and 2019 we got only 19 percent of the votes, I want people to come to us who didn’t vote for us. I want people to look into us,” he said.

He further said that he and Mallikarjun Kharge are friends and the only difference between the two of them is the way of their work.

Clarifying the rumors that Kharge is an official candidate for party chief and he is not, to this Tharoor said, “Some people are saying Kharge is an official candidate and I am no one. But I want to say that the Gandhi family is unbiased and no one is an official candidate as we are standing for strengthening of the Congress party. If someone is saying that delegates are asked to vote are a certain person but it’s not true.”

Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge are up against each other in the race for the post of Congress president.

The voting for the Congress presidential elections is scheduled to be held on October 17 and the padayatra will take a break for a day for voting.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8. Voting will take place on October 17 and the election results will be declared on October 19.

With Gandhi’s not running for the top post this time around, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years. (ANI)

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Bharat Jodo Yatra

Congress To Fight Against Hate-Mongering: Rahul Gandhi

By LokMarg

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held an interaction with the masses as the Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Mayasandra, Tumakuru in Karnataka on Saturday and said that the party believes in fighting against those who spread hatred.

He also highlighted the fact that the community of the person spreading hatred doesn’t matter.

“My view is that it doesn’t matter who the person spreading hatred is, it doesn’t matter which community they come from, spreading hatred and violence is an anti-national act and we’ll fight against such people,” said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Stressing the integrity and unity in the country he said,” Our constitution states: Bharat is a union of states. It means all our languages, states and traditions have an equally important space. That is the nature of our country.”

The Congress leader also jibed at the opposition and said, ” I have always stood for a certain idea, that disturbs the BJP and RSS. Thousands of crores of media money and energy have been spent to shape me in a way that is untruthful and wrong. That will continue as that machine is financially rich and well-oiled.”

This was his third press interaction during the march.

The yatra is in its Karnataka leg and marked its 31st day today.

The march began at around 6. 40 am, informed veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

“Day 31 of #BharatJodoYatra started at around 640am. Today @RahulGandhi

will be having his third press interaction so far during the Yatra at Turuvekere at 1 pm. We have entered Tumkur district now,” tweeted Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

The Congress veteran also outlined the party’s upcoming schedule during the yatra and informed that there will be polling booths during the march as over 40 PCC will be traveling along.

“40 PCC delegates are involved in the India Jodo Yatra. For these, polling booths will be set up at the campsite itself. Rahul Gandhi and other Bharat Jodo travelers will vote in this camp,” said Jairam Ramesh in a statement.

He also informed that the Bharat Jodo Yatra will have a grand rally on October 15 and will be halted on October 17 due to party presidential polls.

The party leader also underlined that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will celebrate Diwali in the camp and the march will be on hold due to Diwali.

Earlier on October 7, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the teachers raised the issue of the Kannada language and culture being “under attack”.

He said that “our education system is under systematic attack from adverse ideological forces and that attack has reached now our curriculum.”

The Former Congress President said that he interacted with the teachers and students, who told him their concerns.

“I spoke to the teachers and students. The teachers said why government schools are being neglected. Why our culture, our ‘Kannada’ language is under attack? Why the glory of the history of Karnataka is being erased from textbooks Why our culture and history is being attacked and damaged?” Rahul said.

He said that the new NEP 2020 had been specially designed to undo everything that has been done in the past 75 years. He continued to add that Communalisation and Centralisation and Commercialisation were the only agendas behind these monumental changes effected by the State and Central Governments.

The Wayanad MP suspected that there were many deliberate and designed efforts to destabilize the education system and subvert the Constitution through these drastic measures.

The MP from Wayanad is currently leading Bharat Jodo Yatra- the 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering as many as 12 states. The Yatra started from Kanyakumari and will end in Kashmir the next year by covering 25 km every day.

According to Congress, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation, and political centralization.

Notably, all the party MPs, leaders, and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets, and ACs are also installed in some of the containers. During the journey, the temperature and environment will differ in many areas.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)

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UPCC Member Congress

Whoever Be AICC President, Rahul’s Writ Will Remain Unchallenged

By LokMarg

Dr Devendra Pratap Singh, member of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, says Rahul’s stature will rise to unprecedented level at the end of Bharat Jodo Yatra. His views:

To understand the ongoing process for the election to the post of President of the Congress party, one needs to look at the selection of the new president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, who is a BSP import. The day UPCC’s new President was announced, all old and dedicated Congressmen here in UP became very much disappointed.

First, they imported leftists into the UPCC, and now they have brought a president who has no roots in the Congress culture and ideology. Genuine Congressmen have been systematically sidelined in the last few years.

This is the real tragedy that the party is facing right now. And this reflects in the election process for central leadership too. There may be individual and differing opinions on whether Shashi Tharoor or Mallikarjun Kharge should become the new president. In my view, I truly feel that both of them could never come closer to Digvijay Singh in terms of a mass base, leadership credentials, and even loyalty to the family. But see how senior leaders have proposed Kharge’s candidature.

If I were to choose between Kharge and Tharoor only, I would prefer the latter. The selection of Kharge as party president may re-open North-South fault lines. I am scared of that. Although Tharoor also belongs to the South, he has an international and cosmopolitan stature. He is intellectual and has worked with the UN before joining the party. One more thing: Tharoor has consecutively won the last three elections to Parliament. On that score, he is one step ahead of Kharge.

In contemporary politics, elections are the final and decisive indicator of anything. We have a party in power that is sort of an election machine. It has changed the entire political scenario. Tharoor thus would be a much more charismatic option as Congress president.

ALSO READ: ‘Why I Took Party In Bharat Jodo Yatra’

But then we also see that this corrupt political environment is witness to the heinous kind of violence just for the sake of electoral victory. In Panchayat level or block level, we have seen a candidate killing his brother or father. Now, juxtapose this scenario with a man who is walking on roads to unite this country and protect our constitutional values! I am talking of Rahul Gandhi, a man, and a living saint, who is completely aware but undeterred by the political processes in his party or elsewhere.

Rahul Gandhi is a man upon whom I rest my full faith. When Bharat Jodo Yatra will end after 150 days, the political environment in this country will have completely changed. Mark the words of RSS leaders Hosabale and Mohan Bhagwat, and what they have spoken on Vijayadashmi. This shows that some sort of churning is going on inside Sangh and BJP. Mark the moves of Nitin Gadkari too.

The question of Congress president is irrelevant in the face of what is going to happen in this country. Be it Kharge or Tharoor or anyone else, he will eventually act as a dummy because Rahul Gandhi is going to outweigh anyone in Indian politics. But yes, just a rider in case — one can fight external enemies but surrender in front of the near and dear ones. We have seen how the Congress party got doomed in Punjab and how it nearly averted a crisis in Rajasthan just because of the overreaching interference. And now in the UPCC.

So, 2024 is going to be big. Rahul Gandhi is eventually going to emerge as a national leader. He is the face of the Congress party and will remain so in the coming years. A petty question like a party President’s post never matters for him because if Congress wins he is not going to accept any post. And that is why we respect him, just him, from the core of our hearts. This is the reason why I find this question of choice between Kharge and Tharoor insignificant. 

(The narrator is also general secretary and media panelist of UPCC)

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

Gauri Lankesh

Family Of Gauri Lankesh Joins Rahul For Bharat Jodo Yatra

By LokMarg

Family members of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was murdered in 2017, joined Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi on Friday.

Indira Lankesh and Kavitha Lankesh – mother and sister of journalist walked with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as they participated in the party’s march.
Senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Naga on September 5, 2017.

Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a magazine described as an ‘anti-establishment’ publication.

In November 2016, she was convicted of defamation and was sentenced to six months in jail, after she ran a piece in 2008 that Prahlad Joshi, a BJP MP from Dharwad, and Umesh Dushi, also of the BJP, found objectionable. However, the court also granted her bail and allowed her to appeal to a higher court.

Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi shared a picture of the march with Gauri Lankesh’s mother and sister and said that he stands with Gauri Lankesh and countless others like her, who represent the true spirit of India.

“Gauri stood for Truth. Gauri stood for Courage. Gauri stood for Freedom. I stand for Gauri Lankesh and countless others like her, who represent the true spirit of India. Bharat Jodo Yatra is their voice. It can never be silenced,” he tweeted.

As the Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its 30th day on Friday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party workers resumed the padayatra from K Malenahalli in Mandya in Karnataka.

The padayatra will be concluded today at Adhichunchanagiri Matha Stadium.

On Thursday Sonia Gandhi joined the Party Padyatra in the Mandya district of Karnataka.

“We’ve sailed through storms in the past. Today, too, we will break the limits of all challenges and will together unite India,” Rahul tweeted and posted a photograph of him walking with his mother, his arm around her.

Rahul Gandhi is currently leading Bharat Jodo Yatra- the 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering as many as 12 states. The Padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.

The Padyatra (march) is covering a distance of 25 km every day. The march was aimed to cover as many as 12 states in five months. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.

According to Congress, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation, and political centralization.

Notably, all the party MPs, leaders, and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets, and ACs are also installed in some of the containers. During the journey, the temperature and environment will differ in many areas. The arrangements have been made keeping in view the intense heat and humidity with the change of places.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)

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Sonia Gandhi Rajya Sabha Nomination

Sonia Joins Bharat Jodo Yatra In Karnataka’s Mandya

By LokMarg

Congress interim president on Thursday morning joined the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Mandya in Karnataka.

Sonia Gandhi, who had arrived in Mysuru on Monday afternoon, arrived at the starting point of the padayatra, which resumed today on its after a two-day break for Dussehra. The Yatra entered its Karnataka leg on September 30.
The Congress supremo was seen walking in the company of her son and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

She had earlier visited the Bheemanakolli Temple in Begur village and offered prayers on October 5.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar today said that it was a matter of pride for veteran Sonia Gandhi to walk on the streets.

“After Vijayadashami, there will be Vijaya in Karnataka. We are proud that Sonia Gandhi has come to walk on the streets of Karnataka. We are coming to power in the state, and BJP is on the way to shutting its shop,” said DK Shivakumar.

Day 29 of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ began with flag hoisting at 5:30 am at Exhibition Grounds, Mysuru, where Bharat Yatris joined in Dasara celebrations.

“The march resumed after an hour’s bus ride to padayatra start point near Mandya. Congress President will join around 800 am,” tweeted senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh this morning.

The Padyatra (march) is covering a distance of 25 km every day. The march was aimed to cover as many as 12 states in five months. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.

According to Congress, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation and political centralisation.

Notably, all the party MPs, leaders and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets and ACs are also installed in some of the containers. During the journey, the temperature and environment will differ in many areas. The arrangements have been made keeping in view the intense heat and humidity with the change of places.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

All Cong Leaders United To Fight Against BJP, RSS: Kharge

By LokMarg

Congress leader and MP Mallikarjun Kharge, one of the candidates in the party’s presidential election, on Sunday made it clear that the G23 camp no longer exists and all leaders are united to fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Asserting that he has not entered the polls to oppose anyone, Kharge announced his “official start” to the election campaign on Sunday.
“There is no G23 camp now. All leaders (of G23) want to work together to stay united and fight against BJP-RSS. This is the reason they are supporting me,” said Kharge.

He further said that he is contesting for the Congress president post because senior leaders of the party encouraged him to contest.

“Many senior leaders of the party have supported my nomination for Congress president post. Many leaders of the party told me that I should contest the elections. Due to their encouragement, I am contesting the elections today,” said Congress MP.

Kharge, who entered the fray in the eleventh hour, was seen flanked by Manish Tewari, Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan, and Bhupinder Hooda when he submitted the form for the presidential race.

G-23 leaders had written to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 seeking structural changes in the party and even questioned the process of electing 9000-odd delegates who make up the electoral college of the Congress president.

Notably, the 80-year-old leader had received support from nearly 30 Congress leaders, including Deepender Hooda, Salman Khurshid, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Manish Tewari, Prithviraj Chavan, and several others.

“The day I filed my nomination, I submitted my resignation from my post, aligning with the ‘One Person, One Post’ decision of the party taken in Udaipur. “I officially begin my campaign for the post of Congress party president today,” Kharge said while addressing a press conference with other three Congress leaders, Gourav Vallabh, Deepender S. Hooda, and Syed Naseer Hussain, here.

Kharge tendered his resignation as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha on Saturday as he filed nomination papers to contest the post of president of his party a day before.

Apart from Kharge, G23 leader Shashi Tharoor has also filed his nomination for the post.

Gourav Vallabh also announced his resignation from the post of the official spokesperson of the party to campaign for Kharge in Congress’ internal elections.

“All three of us (Congress leaders Gourav Vallabh, Deepender S Hooda, and Syed Naseer Hussain) resigned from the post of official spokespersons to campaign for the election of Mallikarjun Kharge as party president and want this election to be free and fair,” Vallabh said.

Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said that a total of 20 nomination forms were received on Friday and added that the Gandhi family is not supporting any candidate for the party president’s post.

Mistry added that 14 nominations were received from Mallikarjun Kharge, five from Shashi Tharoor, and one from Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi.

However, Tripathi’s nomination for the Congress presidential election was rejected on Saturday due to signature issues.

He further said that the two current contenders for the post of Congress President include Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

Mistry said that the candidates were in the fray of their own volition and Gandhis are neutral in this contest and are not supporting anyone.

Tharoor on Saturday drew an analogy between the Gandhi family and the DNA of the party and said that no party chief can distance himself from the Gandhi family, asserting that he is contesting the party’s presidential elections to bring a ” change” in the grand old party.

He stressed that the contest between him and Kharge is “not a battle” and it should be left upon the Congress workers to choose between the duo.

Tharoor and Kharge are up against each other in the race for the post of Congress president.

Digvijaya Singh pulled out from the race on Friday (the last day to file nominations) and extended his support to Kharge, who he said is a senior and respected leader of the party, and against whom he “cannot think of contesting”.

Singh was the second Congress leader to pull out of the race after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would not contest the elections following the political turmoil in his state.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

The results of the party polls will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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303: Shashi

If Satisfied With Party’s Working, Vote For Kharge: Tharoor

By LokMarg

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday drew an analogy between the Gandhi family and the DNA of the party and said that no party chief can distance himself from the Gandhi family, asserting that he is contesting the party’s presidential elections to bring a ” change” in the grand old party.

He called the family an asset to the party and said that no matter who becomes the Congress president after the party’s internal polls on October 17, he cannot be “such a fool” to tell “goodbye” to the Gandhi family.
Speaking to ANI before embarking on his visit to various parts of the country to campaign for the party polls, Tharoor said, “The Gandhi family and Congress’ DNA is the same.” No (party) president is such a fool to tell “Goodbye” to the Gandhi family. They are a huge asset to us. “

Reiterating that he represents a “change” in the party twice within 24 hours of filing his nomination at the AICC office in the national capital on Friday, the Congress leader said that if the party leaders and workers are “satisfied” with the “working of the party”, they should vote for Mallikarjun Kharge, who is his opponent in the race to the top post in the party.

Tharoor stressed that the contest between him and Kharge is “not a battle” and it should be left upon the Congress workers to choose between the duo.

“This isn’t a battle… Let party workers choose, that’s our message. I’m saying that if you’re satisfied with the party’s work, vote for Kharge Sahab. If you want a change, I’m there. But there’s no ideological problem. “There will not be any change in the message of the Congress party,” he said.

Noting that all the decisions are being taken by the Central leadership in the party, Tharoor emphasized on giving rights to the lower levels of the organization to take decisions.

“All the decisions are being taken in New Delhi these days.” “It would be good for the party if the rights to take decisions are given to the grassroots at the levels of the blocks, Zilla, and state,” he said.

Notably, in the manifesto released by Tharoor soon after filing his nomination, he mentioned the need for “decentralization” in the party.

Talking about his decision to run for the party’s top post, he said that he intended to contest when the election was announced, which was backed by the party workers.

“The internal democracy that we are showing is not present in any other party. When the election was announced, I had the intention (to contest). I wrote an article, stating that the election is good for party&mentioned its reasons,” he said.

“After that several people, ordinary workers told me to contest the poll. I started thinking and talking to people…I just want the party to strengthen and that I become a voice of the changes within the party and show its different face to people,” Tharoor added.

Tharoor and Kharge are up against each other in the race for the post of Congress president.

Digvijaya Singh pulled out from the race yesterday and extended his support to Kharge, who he said is a senior and respected leader of the party, and against whom he “cannot think of contesting”.

Singh is the second Congress leader to pull out of the race after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would not contest the elections following the political turmoil in his state.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

The results of the party polls will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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DNA of Gandhi Family

No One Does Such A Thing On Purpose: Tharoor On Map Blunder

By LokMarg

Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor on Friday issued a clarification over the map blunder in his manifesto stating that “no one does such things on purpose” and added that team of volunteers had committed a mistake.

“Re the troll storm on a manifesto map: No one does such things on purpose. A small team of volunteers made a mistake. We rectified it immediately and I apologise unconditionally for the error,” the Congress MP said in a tweet.
He also shared the link of the rectified manifesto.

Earlier, the election manifesto shared by him showed a “distorted map of India” in which he omitted parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

He shared the distorted map of India, where he talked about ‘decentralization of the organization’.

The goof-up by Tharoor, who is running for the president’s post of the country’s oldest party does not show good precedent.

Later Tharoor rectified the blunder by replacing it with the correct map of India in his election manifesto.

This is not the first time the Lok Sabha MP has shared a distorted map of India. Earlier in 2019, Tharoor shared a ‘distorted’ map of India on Twitter. The northernmost territory of the country was missing from the map shared by the Congress leader.

In December 2019, he shared the cover of a booklet about the Kerala Congress’s protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He later deleted the tweet and rectified his mistake.

Party communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh called the distorted map an “egregious error”, putting the onus of explanation on Tharoor and his team.

He was responding to a tweet by BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya who took a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and Tharoor.

“The BJP is clearly panicking now that the Bharat Jodo Yatra has entered Karnataka. The “I Troll Cell” (IT Cell) of the BJP will look for any flimsy excuse to target and tarnish the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Rahul Gandhi. Only Dr Tharoor and his team can explain this egregious error,” Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

Malviya said, “Shashi Tharoor, Congress’s presidential hopeful, puts a mutilated map of India in his manifesto. While Rahul Gandhi is supposedly on a Bharat Jodo Yatra, wannabe Congress President is hell-bent on dismembering India. Maybe he thinks this might help find favour with the Gandhis.”

Tharoor has issued a manifesto explaining how he intends to rejuvenate the party through decentralisation and internal reorganisation if he wins the election.

“Every party needs leadership, but at all levels and not just at the top. The Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the PCC Presidents, decentralizing authority and truly empowering the grassroots office-bearers of the party. We must provide a credible alternative to the BJP ‘s centralization of authority in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance. “Re-imagining the organization, delegating powers to state, district, and block leaders ,and empowering grassroots workers will not only free the new leader from the onerous burdens of over-administration, but help create the strong state leadership that in past eras strengthened the Congress’ national appeal,” the Congress leader’s manifesto reads.

He also promised to increase focus on youth and to give a bigger role to women in the party

“The Congress will support leadership by women, for women, in keeping with the “Ladki boon, lad sakti hoon” principle. Women will be encouraged to take up issues that actually matter to women in our society. More positions for women should be reserved in PCCs and in the electoral fray. The party will work to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill. In these efforts, the role and capacity of All India Mahila Congress will be strengthened,” the manifesto reads.

Tharoor filed his nomination at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in the national capital. Before that, he visited the Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

“There is a need for decentralization in this party. We are not an election machine for winning elections every five years. “We must serve the people of India,” Tharoor said.

He said the manifesto explains “how we hope to rejuvenate the party, to decentralize the organization of the party.”

“In my own efforts, I am guided by the crores of party workers who have taken the party through good times and bad and who are once again hoping for a renewed, dynamism and energy in the Congress party,” he said addressing a press conference.

“This is what I hope to bring to and through my campaign. I have a vision for Congress, for the internal reorganization of the Congress, which I will send to every delegate. We are pleased that we have the signatures of party colleagues from Kashmir to Kerala and from Punjab to Nagaland. I am here to be the voice of all the party workers, “Tharoor added.

The senior Congress leader also hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, saying things are “not really functioning properly” in the country.

“We have seen that things are not really functioning properly in our country: demonetization, historical unemployment, inflation.” “Congress should be the party to bring change,” he said.

Tharoor will primarily take on another veteran leader of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, for the party president post. Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi, too, has filed his nomination.

Earlier, Digvijaya Singh and Ashok Gehlot said that they have dropped out of the race.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister visited Kharge at his residence this morning. “I told him that I stand by him and can’t even think of contesting against him, I will be his proposer,” Singh told reporters.

Nominations for the post of Congress president closed at 3 pm today, and results will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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