Rahul Gandhi Archives - Page 3 of 22 - Lokmarg

Chronology Samajhiye: Jairam Aafter Rahul Was Denied Entry To Assam’s Batadrava

By LokMarg 22nd January 2024

Amid a standoff between the Congress and the Assam Government over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Batadrava Than, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said “Chronology Samajhiye.”

In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said that first, the temple head welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s visit but Assam CM suddenly announced that he could only visit Batadrava Than after 3 pm on January 22, which is the Pran Pratishtha day of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.

“Chronology samajhiye”: On Jan 11, 2024, the local Congress MLA Shibomani Barua and another MLA Rana Goswami met the Bordowa Than Satradhikar and informed him of Rahul Gandhi’s desire to spend a few minutes in the early hours of January 22nd during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at the hallowed birthplace of Sri Sri Sankardev. This desire was welcomed and supported by the Satradhikar. A few days later, Gaurav Gogoi the local MP, met with the Bordowa Than Satradhikar and reiterated Rahul Gandhi’s desire. Once again, this desire was welcomed and supported,” Jairam Ramesh said on X.

“On January 20th evening, the Assam CM suddenly announced that Rahul Gandhi could not visit the Bordowa Than on the morning of January 22nd and could do so only after 3 pm the same day,” he added.

Further, Jairam alleged that the head of the Temple was pressurised by the Assam CM, who in turn had been instructed from Delhi.

“On the morning of January 21st, Satradhikar states that because of huge crowds expected at the Than on the morning of January 22nd, Rahul Gandhi should visit the holy place after 3 pm. This he said was the decision of the Management Committee. The Bordowa Than Management Committee was pressurised by the Assam CM into taking the decision it did, who in turn has been instructed from Delhi,” he said.

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications also mentioned that on Monday morning after much negotiation, only the local MP and MLA were allowed to visit the Bordowa Than.

“It is unprecedented that the local MP and local MLA had to negotiate their visit when they should have been able to move about freely in their constituency,” Jairam said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday who arrived at the Batadrava Than, the birthplace of revered Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in Assam, took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he was denied permission to enter the shrine.

“We want to visit the temple (Batadrava Than). What crime have I committed that I cannot visit the temple?…” Rahul Gandhi said.

“I want to go to the temple, what is wrong with this? Earlier we were invited but now the administration is saying that we cannot go. “Aaj sirf ek vyakti mandir mein ja sakta hain…”(Perhaps today only one person can go to the temple),” the Congress leader said in an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishta’ ceremony at Ayodhya Ram Temple.

Congress workers also held a protest at the site.

The Congress leader’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is currently on its Assam leg. (ANI)

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A Glimmer of Hope For Secular India

By Amit Sengupta 20th January 2024

While the prime minister hops from one temple to another, and much of the mainstream media has gone on a relentless frenzy about the Ram mandir in Ayodhya, there is no doubt that India is steadily moving towards becoming a theocratic State. That the incomplete temple is the trump card for the BJP in the 2024 polls, especially in the Hindi heartland, is now as clear as daylight. This is yet again evidence that performance and good governance will be pushed to the backdrop, yet again, while social polarization and Hindutva would be the magic wand that the well-oiled BJP-RSS electoral machinery, with deep pockets, will wave in this election year.

It is being projected that the Hindi belt is going through a kind of religious resurrection, propelled by the ruling party in the Centre, and the constitutional principle that the State should be non-partisan and neutral in terms of the religious affairs of citizens, which is essentially a matter of private choice, has been effectively dumped. And, thus, the sacred preamble of the secular Constitution of India, and the values and ideals of the freedom movement – in which the Sangh parivar did not participate, nor make any sacrifice – too, has been dumped into the trashcan of history.

The walls of Delhi and its open spaces, for instance, have been glorifying the pran pratishtha ceremony all over the place, markets and shopping centres have joined in, government holidays have been declared, tempos playing loud devotional music float inside residential areas, and committed RSS cadre have gone from door-to-door distributing little packets with rice, a photo of the temple, and asking people to light diyas in their homes and in mohalla/colony celebrations. Amidst this organized political mobilization in the garb of religion, the PM is temple-hopping or posing for solo photo shoots, even while it is obvious that he is followed by a battery of camerapersons, officials, media and armed commandos.

Forgotten is the fact that the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the bloody aftermath in the Hindi heartland, was universally described then by the media and the nation as a ‘Black Day’ in the history of our secular democracy. A dark shadow of doom and disbelief had descended over India. Scores of journalists were beaten up and robbed in Ayodhya, the preparations for the organized demolition was in full swing much before the eventful destruction, top BJP leaders and certain loyalist-journalists were openly seen celebrating, while the then Congress PM, Narasimha Rao, alleged to be a closet RSS-lackey, chose to look the other way.

In the current circumstances, therefore, the theocratic dimension has become so brazen, that calling India a secular democracy seems like a misnomer. Besides, the ideological division between the North (barring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh), and South and East India, seems starkly apparent, as always in the past. Bengal and South India have been steadfastly holding the secular flag, and the drubbing which the BJP got in Karnataka recently is a big pointer. Besides, what the world now thinks about the ‘largest democracy’ remains an open question.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra Part II is gradually gaining momentum, starting with the effort to heal the still simmering wounds of Manipur, which continues to witness routine killings of citizens and security forces. The fact is that the prime minister, an avid traveller to distant places, has not visited Manipur till date, while his discredited chief minister continues to goof up and display brazen partisanship. As the yatra moves inside Arunachal Pradesh from Assam, even while there seems a near-total blackout in mainstream media, it is a reminder that the seven sisters of the Northeast, sensitively located on international borders, continue to remain distant and alienated from the mainland.

However, amidst this organized cacophony of the Ram Mandir, certain significant signs have emerged in the INDIA alliance which promise, if not promising hope, then, at least, a semblance of strategic and tactical fight. For once, a cocky Congress, which has the knack of snatching defeat from a certain victory, lost three crucial states in the Hindi heartland, including the two in which they were ruling. This has led to the BJP pumping its muscles and Narendra Modi absolutely confident of making it as well in 2024 – all they now need is the blessings of Ram, a surge in Hindutva, and the consequent polarization on the ground. The flipside is that if the Congress had won, it would have once again started flexing its one-upmanship, and the India bloc would have floundered.

ALSO READ: ‘BJP Has Raised And Dumped Ayodhya Issue Cyclically’

Now, the Congress has done at least two things which seem perfectly reasonable. One, they have abandoned the soft-Hindutva card (blatantly used by an arrogant Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh) by refusing to join the mandir inauguration, and second, that they have promised to restrict the party to 255 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Not only the Congress, almost all the parties in the INDIA bloc refused to go to Ayodhya on January 22. This is certainly a good sign, and reinforces the opposition space as a secular space and defies the partisan dominant narrative.

Second, seat-sharing talks have started happening at a rate faster than imagined, and with reasonable consensus and flexibility. Even Akhilesh Yadav, who has already clichéd a deal with the Rashtriya Lok Dal in Western UP, is ready to be consensual, despite the fact the Congress, foolishly, refused to give his party even one seat in the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, like it did with other smaller parties in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. With no base left in UP, Priyanka Gandhi having failed to break ground in the last instance, the Congress would do well to climb down from its disproportionate demands, and follow the dharma of the alliance. If the BSP joins the alliance in UP, despite the loud opposition of the Samajwadi Party, it might not be a cake-walk for the BJP.

The AAP has finally opened talks with the Congress, and their joint Mayor candidate in Chandigarh is a potential sign of unity. While the AAP must concede more seats in Delhi and Punjab, the Congress would do well to accommodate them with a big heart in Haryana, Gujarat and Goa. All forms of symbolism helps in a protracted tactical struggle.

The Congress has only two Lok Sabha seats in Bengal which Mamata Banerjee is ready to give them. These are their traditional strongholds in Murshidabad/Behrampur and Malda, Its demand for more seats, therefore, is unreasonable, as is the aggressive stance of Adhir Ranjan Choudhury. The CPM is a spent-force in Bengal, with zero seats, even while it should remember that its cadre and supporters voted for the BJP in the last general elections – leading to the BJP getting 18 MP seats, an impossibility at one time.

With the South firmly out of the BJP’s grasp, and Bengal and Punjab too joining, if the Opposition alliance can restrict BJP to less than 250 seats in the cow belt, then there is a real chance for a new government arriving in Delhi. Or else, the secular democracy that is India, will definitely enter an era of doom, and it will be once again, darkness at noon.

By Suspending 150 MPs, Govt Muffled Voices Of 60% Of India: Rahul

By LokMarg 22nd December 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that by suspending nearly 150 opposition MPs from Parliament, the government had muffled the voices of the people of their constituencies.

While speaking at the protest of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc here at Jantar Mantar against the bulk suspension of opposition MPs, the Congress leader cornered the Centre over ‘unemployment’.

He said that the two youths, carrying smoke canisters jumped into the Lok Sabha, earlier this month because they were jobless.

“A few days ago, 2-3 youths jumped inside the Parliament House, we all saw, they came inside and spread some smoke. All the BJP MPs ran away. First of all, how did those people come inside, they brought gas cylinders inside the Parliament. If they could bring that then they could have brought anything. The second question is why did they protest? The reason for this was unemployment. There is huge unemployment in the country. The youth of this country cannot get employment today,” he said.

The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people–Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D–jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters, and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.

The security lapse case, which has been at the center of discussion in the political aisle of the country since then, led to the suspension of 146 MPs from the Parliament’s Winter Session, which has been adjourned sine die, for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses.

The opposition lawmakers were demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident.

The Congress leader went on to add that as per a survey, it was revealed that youth spend 7.30 hours a day on social media apps.

Rahul said that he asked surveyors to conduct a small survey to find out how many hours per day the youth of the country spend on their phones or social media platforms.

“After the survey, I was shocked to learn that youth spend 7.30 hours a day on social media apps,” Gandhi said.

Reacting to the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar’s mimicry row, he said that the media didn’t question about the suspension of nearly 150 MPs but highlighted that Rahul Gandhi was filming the act.

“Media says that MPs were sitting outside the Parliament and Rahul Gandhi filmed the video (of mimicry). The media did not ask the question why and how 150 MPs were suspended,” he said.

“These 150 people are not just individuals, they are the voice of the people of India. Every Member of Parliament brings lakhs of votes, you have not insulted just 150 people, you have silenced 60 percent of the people of India,” he added.

Meanwhile, another Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, said that the protest, under the banner ‘Save Democracy’, at Jantar Mantar, is send a message among people that whatever is happening is ‘wrong for the future of the country’.

“In the history of democracy in the world, 146 MPs have never been suspended… People should know that the democracy is in danger. The protest is to tell the people that whatever is happening is wrong for the future of the country… There is only one solution, people should change this government and bring the INDIA Alliance into power,” Tharoor told ANI.

Senior opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, and others, shared the dais to protest against the recent suspension of 146 opposition MPs. (ANI)

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Smriti Shreds Rahul Over Mimicry Row

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Unleashing a no-holds-barred attack on Rahul Gandhi, who was pictured filming the crude impression of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar by suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee on the Parliament premises, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said the Congress MP hit a new low by “wilfully standing there and encouraging disrespect towards Rajya Sabha chairman”.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi said the Vice President had laid down the salient procedures that cannot be violated by a responsible Parliamentarian, and, yet, the Opposition members wilfully violated them.

“When the Vice president and Chairman of Rajya Sabha have announced that these are the procedures that cannot be violated as a parliamentarian, after knowing those, you go and violate them that means you have been mindful of the rules that you are breaking. This is not a classroom, this is the Parliament of India. What shocks me was not the juvenile reaction of the former Congress president (Rahul Gandhi). I could never imagine that on the steps of the Parliament, you could mock the Vice President of India. Rahul Gandhi filmed it and encouraged it. So I think it (the bulk suspension of Opposition members) marks the end of the juvenile politics by Mr. Gandhi. To wilfully stand there and encourage disrespect towards (the) Vice President, that’s a new low that he has hit,” the Union Minister said.

She further asserted that even she had ‘issues’ when in the Opposition but never mocked the Speaker or used words that brought disrespect to the Chair because “it not an individual but an institution”.

“There is a historical context to every activity that is undertaken in Parliament. There is a President that you set not only from a domestic perspective but also an international parliamentary perspective of how business in a house is conducted, where a part of many international unions, associations, and, organisations study the functionality of our Parliament. Can you have the Vice President of India or the Speaker of the House announce a set of rules and regulations and procedures in terms of parliamentary engagement and willfully break those rules and then expect no consequence for it?” she added.

She said the brazen impression of the Rajya Sabha Chairman and his mannerisms, including his physical limitations, was a “message to your (Rahul’s) political audience”.

“There is a generation of political activists that want to emulate you. When you caricature the VP of India, you are sending a message to your political audience. What was Kalyan Banerjee doing knowing that Rahul Gandhi was filming it? He was working towards enduring himself to the audience called the Gandhi family,” Irani said.

“(Congress MP KC) Venugopal was sanding and laughing. They paid no heed (to the Chair) when they were in the House. Can you then deny that constitutional post the right to deliver justice? They stood on the table and threw a book on the chair. Do you remember the deputy chairperson? They were slamming books and chucking papers at the chair,” she added.

On the row over Rahul’s ‘flying kiss’ this year in the Lok Sabha, Irani said “it has nothing to do with me, but whatever he did was a reflection of his upbringing”.

“He gave it (flying kiss) in the House, my position was never that it was intended towards me. It was that the House was expected of a particular conduct. Whatever he did was a reflection of his upbringing and his sense of how much he values Parliament. It has nothing to do with me,” she said.

“The person (former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar) who allegedly chanted Anti-India slogans in a university, Rahul Gandhi has indulged him in his political party. We cannot deviate from the reality. The issue is
kya Bharat toota hai jo aap jod rahe ho
? (Is India broken that you are fixing it?)” she added. (ANI)

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Rahul Concedes Defeat In Hindi Heartland States

By LokMarg 3rd December 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday conceded the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, but he said that the party’s battle of ideology would continue.

“We humbly accept the mandate of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan – the battle of ideology will continue,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X.

In Telangana where the Congress is set to form the next government, dethroning BRS’s 10-year rule, he said that his party will fulfil the promise of making “Prajalu Telangana”.

“I am very thankful to the people of Telangana – we will fulfil the promise of making Prajalu Telangana. Heartfelt thanks to all the workers for their hard work and support,” the Wayanad MP posted on X.

In the Assembly elections in four states- Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh- the counting of which is in the final stages, as per the Election Commission data, the BJP is leading in majority of the seats in three States, clearly indicating that it would form governments in these states.

While in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP is defeating the incumbent Congress governments, in Madhya Pradesh it has defeated the anti-incumbency in retaining the power.

However, in the South Indian state of Telangana, the Congress sees a consolation as it poised to dethrone, BRS’s decade-old rule.

In Madhya Pradesh, as per the latest Election Commission data, the BJP is leading in 166 seats out of 230 and the Congress is leading in 63 seats.

In Rajasthan, the BJP is leading in 115 seats out of 199 seats clearly on the way to ousting the incumbent Ashok Gehlot government. The Congress is leading in 69 seats in the state.

In the Chhattisgarh election, though the majority of the exit polls predicted the Congress would retain the government, the results show otherwise. As per the latest ECI update, the BJP is leading in 55 seats out of 90 and the Congress is leading 35 seats.

In Telangana, the incumbent BRS has conceded defeat as the ECI update showed that Congress is leading in 64 seats in the 119-member assembly. BRS is leading in 39 seats, and the BJP and BRS are leading in 8 and 7 seats respectively. (ANI)

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Cong Aims To Have 50% Women CM In 10 Yrs: Rahul

By LokMarg 1st December 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the mission of the grand old party would be to have 50 percent of the women Chief Ministers in 10 years.

“A good target for the Congress party would be if, in 10 years from today, 50 per cent of our chief ministers are women. Today we don’t have a single chief minister who is a woman. But I know many women in the Congress party have the quality to be very good chief ministers. We have to ensure that at every level, there are more and more women in the organisation and this cannot be done through events, ” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the ‘Utsaah’ Mahila Congress State Convention in Ernakulam, Kerala.

Stressing the need for a dynamic shift in the country’s political system by minimizing discrimination, he said, “It has to be done through a process. In the political system, we have different types of discrimination, we have caste discrimination, and language, but women are the most discriminated against. There are no women in this room who are comfortable walking on the streets at night.”

Toeing the line of BJP for women empowerment, he added, “From the organisation point of view, it is very important to be aggressive on women empowerment.”

He further slammed the RSS and BJP on women’s issues and said that the biggest question is “Are the women allowed to share power in the RSS?”

“The central fight between BJP and Congress is about how women should be treated. In the picture of freedom, you will find Mahatma Gandhi always standing and advocating for women. You will see women taking the front in the freedom struggle. Congress party has many women presidents and has PM women president because we fundamentally believe women should share power in the country.”

“In its entire history, RSS has not allowed women in its organisation. The question is are the women allowed to share power in the RSS? The RSS is purely a man-oriented organisation,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He also alleged that the RSS decide what women should do and what they should wear.

“What women wear, what they do is the decision of her only. In the RSS, they decide what women should do and on what basis women should be respected. For the first time, I have seen a bill passed in parliament that will be implemented a decade later. The only bill which the BJP has passed after 10 years is of the women empowerment (Women reservation bill),” he added. (ANI)

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Huge Debt Of Businessmen Written Off, Farmers Harassed Due To Policies Of Centre: Rahul

By LokMarg 19th November 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Congress is not in favor of the notion of two distinct Indias, wherein the debts of affluent businessmen and industrialists are forgiven and on the other hand farmers are being harassed by banks based on the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rahul Gandhi outlined the party’s commitment to an inclusive India and criticized the disparities created by the debt relief for the wealthy and the challenges faced by farmers.

Addressing an election rally in Dausa, Rahul Gandhi said, “Congress Party gave you seven guarantees. We want an inclusive India. We don’t want two different Indias. There is one India where lakhs of debt of businessmen and industrialists are getting written off. Then there are farmers who are harassed by banks due to policies of PM Modi.”

Rahul Gandhi further accused PM Modi of adopting an opportunist approach in dealing with the issues and challenges faced by backward castes.

“PM Narendra Modi says that there is no caste; there are only poor. When the time came to give rights, then there is no caste and when it is time to promote fighting, then there are OBCs and Dalits,” he said.

Earlier today, PM Modi targetted five years of Congress’ rule in the poll-bound state of Rajasthan and said that its leaders have “spent in running each other out”.

Addressing a congregation of people in Rajasthan’s Churu district, the Prime Minister said, “Nowadays, the whole country is filled with enthusiasm for cricket. In cricket, a batsman comes and scores runs for his team. But there is such a fight among the Congress party that these people are busy running each other out.”

Rajasthan is set to hold elections on November 25.

The counting of votes for the Rajasthan Assembly will be held on December 3.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP finished at 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and independent legislators. (ANI)

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Rahul Targets Adani Again On Coal Pricing

By LokMarg 18th October 2023

Citing UK-based newspaper, Financial Times which claimed that the Adani Group was purchasing coal above its market value from Asian countries, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that it is due to this reason for prices of electricity in country are getting inflated.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi alleged,”In a report from the famous Financial Times, London, Now we know that Adani Group has committed another fraud of Rs 12,000 crore. So now the total corruption of the Adani Group stands at Rs 32,000 crore. They overinvoice their coal imports, and when the coal enters India, its price changes leading to surge in electricity prices. These Rs 12,000 crore are getting paid from the pocket of common masses.”

Emphasising that Congress is already providing subsidy in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi said,” We are also ready to provide subsidies in Madhya Pradesh. No media has an interest in this story. No one is interested in asking questions from the Adani group. This cannot happen without protection being provided from Prime Minister. Adani buys coal in Indonesia, and by the time the coal arrives in India, its price doubles. Our electricity prices are going up.”

Rahul Gandhi further alleged that Adani Group is involved in a direct theft of the public money.”This time the theft is happening from the pockets of the public.When you push the button for a switch, Adani gets money in his pocket.Enquiry is happening in different countries, and people are asking questions, but nothing is happening in India,” he said.

Earlier last week, the Adani Group had said there is a renewed attempt by the UK based newspaper Financial Times and its collaborators to rehash old and baseless allegations to tarnish the name and standing of the Indian business conglomerate.

In a media statement, Adani Group said on October 9 that these articles were part of an extended campaign to advance vested interests under the guise of public interest.

“Continuing their relentless campaign, the next attack is being fronted by Dan McCrum of the Financial Times, who jointly with the OCCRP put out a false narrative against the Adani Group on 31 August 2023. The OCCRP is funded by George Soros, who has openly declared his hostility against the Adani Group,” the Adani Group statement said. Having failed earlier, the UK daily is making another effort to financially destabilise the Adani Group by raking up an old, baseless allegation of over-invoicing of coal imports, the statement added.

Adani Group said in the case of Knowledge Infrastructure, one of the 40 importers mentioned in the General Alert Circular, the DRI’s Show Cause Notice alleging over-valuation in the import of coal was quashed by the appellate tribunal (CESTAT).

The question of over-invoicing price manipulation does not arise, it noted.

Meanwhile, when asked why he was not raising questions about Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Adani despite INDIA alliance being united on Adani issue, the Congress MP said, “I have not asked Sharad Pawar, he is not the Prime Minister of India. Sharad Pawar is not protecting Adani, Mr Modi is and that’s why I asked Mr Modi this question. If Sharad Pawar was sitting as PM of India and protecting Adani, then I would be asking Sharad Pawar this question”

Earlier this year, an American short seller Hindenburg Group had launched an attack on Adani Group in January this year through a report that allegedly claimed accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens.Post the Hindenburg report, the group had erased close to USD 150 billion in its market value.

Adani Group has been denying all allegations since the beginning of the controversy. The Adani Group had then attacked Hindenburg as “an unethical short seller”, stating that the report by the New York-based entity was “nothing but a lie”. A short-seller in the securities market books gains from the subsequent reduction in the prices of shares. (ANI)

Rahul, Priyanka Set To Ignite High-Octane Campaign With Vijayabheri Bus Yatra

By LokMarg 17th October 2023

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are scheduled to visit Telangana as part of their Vijayabheri yatra on Wednesday.

The leaders will commence their bus yatra, which will start from the historic Ramappa temple in Mulugu and conclude in Ramanujapuram between 5 pm and 6 pm.

Both leaders will respectfully present the Congress’s six guarantees before Lord Shiva as part of their visit, followed by the launch of the Vijayabheri bus yatra.

Subsequently, both leaders will engage with women from the Mulugu and Bhupalpally areas to gain insights into their concerns.

During his three-day visit, Rahul Gandhi is set to conduct a series of public meetings and connect with labourers, farmers, and party members.

This visit by both leaders is expected to provide a significant boost to the Telangana Congress.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 9 announced that the Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled to be held on November 30.

The counting of votes will be done on December 3, the poll body added.

Telangana is set to witness a triangular contest between the BJP, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and the Congress in the upcoming assembly election.

In the previous Assembly election held in 2018, BRS managed to win 88 seats out of 119 and had a dominant vote share of 47.4 per cent. Congress came in a distant second with 19 seats. Its vote share was 28.7 per cent. (ANI)

Rahul Arrives In Mizoram On Two Day Visit

By LokMarg 16th October 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday arrived on a two-day visit to Mizoram on Monday.

Upon his arrival, Rahul Gandhi also took part in a Padyatra from Chanmari (Aizawl) to Raj Bhawan.

Speaking to ANI, Congress spokesperson Mathew Antony said,” It was a long-awaited visit of Rahul Gandhi to Mizoram. Mizoram has fond memories of the visit of his father Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. People are sharing their excitement over his (Rahul Gandhi) visit. Another significance of this visit is he is carrying out a Bharat Jodo Yatra at a time when there is polarization and the country is divided on ethnic issues.”

On the election preparations for the upcoming Assembly polls in Mizoram, Antony said, “We are hopeful that we will form the government. Tomorrow he (Rahul Gandhi) will meet the party leaders and will address a public gathering. The announcement for the party candidates can be expected anytime from now.”

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Mizoram visit, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga said, “Rahul Gandhi’s visit may be good for the party’s (Congress) people. But that will not have much influence on Mizoram’s population as a whole. So, I don’t think it will have much meaning.”

In a 40-member Mizoram assembly, Mizo National Front bagged 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent to emerge victorious in the 2018 polls. Congress secured five seats and BJP won one seat.

Polls will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states. Of the five states, polling in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. The elections to five states are crucial as they are being held months before the Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year. (ANI)