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Tag: Congress

  • Lok Sabha Election 2024: What BJP And Congress Manifestos Promise For Women And Farmers |

    New Delhi: As voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is getting nearer, both the leading political parties – Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – have introduced their manifestos outlining their visions and commitments for the next five years. While Congress has termed its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, the BJP titles it ‘Sankalp Patra’ riding in the ‘Modi Ki Guaranteee’ slogan.

    Both the BJP and the Congress have delineated their primary commitments and priorities for Women and Farmer – two sections that constitute more than half of India’s population. Now let’s analyse and compare the pledges outlined by each party in their respective manifestos.

    Promises For Farmers

    We always heard the term ‘India is an agrarian nation’ and still most of the population emerged from the agriculture sector and plays a crucial role in vote banking. Similar to previous manifestos, both political parties have made commitments to farmers, a crucial vote bank.

    Congress- The party pledges to give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced annually by the government. They also promise to appoint a Permanent Commission on Agricultural Finance to regularly assess agriculture credit and recommend measures for loan relief when needed.

    On the other hand, the BJP promised to continue to increase MSP from time to time and pledged to strengthen the PM Fasal Bima Yojana by integrating advanced technologies, ensuring swift and precise assessment, expedited payouts, and prompt resolution of grievances 

    Promises For Women

    Women play a key role in shaping the vote bank of any political party. 

    The Grand Old Party, Congress promised to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme which provides one lakh per year to every poor Indian family, The manifesto also said that the party has decided to reserve one-half (50 per cent) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025 if they come in power. Congress also promised to double the number of working women hostels in the country.

    While, BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’ aims to expand the current healthcare services with a focus on preventing and reducing anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and osteoporosis, thereby ensuring women lead healthier lives. Manifesto also mentioned launching a targeted campaign to eradicate cervical cancer. The party also promised to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill, guaranteeing representation for women in both the Parliament and State Legislatures.

  • ‘Will You Be There?’: Congress On Modi’s Claim To Host 2036 Olympics; AAP Terms BJP Manifesto A ‘Jumla’ |

    New Delhi: The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Sunday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections at an event in the party’s Delhi headquarters. Dubbed ‘Sankalp Patra,’ the manifesto focuses on the upliftment of women, youth, farmers and the poor. While the BJP pronounced the manifesto as revolutionary, the opposition has begun criticising the manifesto’s ambitious objectives.  

    Manifesto Lacks Credibility: Congress  

    Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge commented on the BJP releasing its election manifesto, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously promised to double farmers’ income and provide a legal guarantee for increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP).  

    Kharge while talking to the media expressed skepticism, “This is the guarantee. He didn’t do any big work in his tenure that would benefit all the people of the country. The youth are looking for jobs. Inflation is rising. He is not worried about any of those….” He further concluded that the manifesto lacks credibility, suggesting that it demonstrates Modi’s lack of substantive solutions for the populace.  

    #WATCH | On BJP releasing its election manifesto, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says, “…He (PM Narendra Modi) had said that he will double farmers’ income. He had said that he would increase MSP and give a legal guarantee – this is the guarantee. He didn’t do any such_ pic.twitter.com/xaiwrKAcJA
    – ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2024

    When questioned about BJP’s ‘Mission 50 in South India’, Karnataka Home Minister and Congress leader, G Parameshwara responded, stating that they have a nationwide mission to counter the BJP.  

    Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the BJP of shifting goalposts. “They (BJP) have written in the manifesto that they’ll host the 2036 Olympics, where you’ll be, will you be there in the govt? You should give the account of 5 years… They lie with so much clarity but now that they have lied so much that no one trusts them.”

    Jumla Patra: AAP’s Atishi  

    At a press conference, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi commented on the BJP’s manifesto, highlighting concerns about unemployment among youth and the significant increases in the prices of LPG cylinders and diesel. She noted the financial strain faced by every household and expressed disbelief towards the BJP’s manifesto, referring to it as the ‘Jumla Patra’, suggesting that it would fail to garner trust from the public.

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    _____ __ ______ _____ _____ ______ __ ___ ______ __ ____ ______, _____ __ 2024_ https://t.co/OLsdqVYKSH
    – Atishi (@AtishiAAP) April 14, 2024

    BJP Forgotten About Youth, Famers: Tejashwi Yadav 

    RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that, BJP manifesto lacks any mention of jobs, employment, inflation reduction, or addressing issues like unemployment and poverty. It fails to address the concerns of 60% of the country’s youth, 80% of farmers, and over 6.4 lakh villages. Moreover, it overlooks the development of backward and poor states, as well as the states with the highest representation in the Lok Sabha.  

    In their manifesto they have completely forgotten about jobs, employment, youth, farmers, young men and villages. 

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    – Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) April 14, 2024

    No New Provision For MSP: Sarwan Singh Pandher  

    Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher shared his take on the BJP manifesto with the news agency PTI, “After four rounds of discussions with the Centre concerning the ongoing farmers’ protest, they expressed commitments to address longstanding issues. However, the BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ lacks any new provisions regarding essential matters such as enacting MSP laws, setting crop prices based on C2-50, and alleviating farmers’ debts,” he added.

    VIDEO | Here’s what farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on the BJP manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

    “We had four rounds of conversation with the Centre regarding the farmers’ protest that is going on. They agreed on a lot of things and said that what all have not_ pic.twitter.com/xLHhp6kA08
    – Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 14, 2024

  • Lok Sabha Elections: Congress Releases Candidate List; Fields Vikramaditya Singh From Himachal`s Mandi

    Congress released a list of 16 candidate for upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the party nominated Vikramaditya Singh against BJP’s Kangana Ranaut from Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh.

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: What Is The Cost Of Congress Party`s Five Nyay? Check Surprising Numbers

    The Congress party has broadened the base of its five nyay after successful pilot projects in Karnataka and initial implementation in Telangana.

  • `My Name Has Ram Too`: Jairam Ramesh Defends Congress` Decision To Decline Ayodhya Invitation

    Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh defended the Congress party’s move for choosing a respectful decline of invitations for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Lord Rama in Ayodhya. 

  • Lok Sabha Polls: Modi`s Rallies In Bihar, Bengal, MP; Congress Goes All Out With Its Manifesto

    While the BJP has planned several rallies today, the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi is promoting its manifesto claiming that it can change the face of India. 

  • 2024 Polls: Pappu Yadav`s Independent Bid From Purnia May Hurt Congress-RJD

    Pappu Yadav had won the Purnea seat thrice in the 1990s.

  • Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Vs CPI’s Annie Raja: Know Who Is Richer? |

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Annie Raja, both prominent contenders for Kerala’s Wayanad seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024, have disclosed their financial assets, sparking interest and comparisons.

    Rahul Gandhi’s Net Worth 

    Rahul Gandhi, filing his nomination in Kerala’s Wayanad, revealed assets worth Rs 20 crore, conspicuously devoid of vehicle or residential property ownership. His movable assets stand at Rs 9.24 crore, inclusive of bank deposits, bonds, shares, mutual funds, and jewellery. Notably, Gandhi’s immovable assets, totalling Rs 11.15 crore, encompass agricultural land in Delhi and office space in Gurugram, the former co-owned with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. His shareholdings, valued at Rs 4.3 crore, include investments in various prominent companies like Asian Paints, Infosys, and Tata Consultancy Services.

    Legal Disputes And Cases

    Gandhi’s affidavit further discloses his involvement in legal disputes, notably a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), alongside defamation complaints by BJP members and a criminal conspiracy case related to Associated Journals Limited.

    Annie Raja’s Assets

    In contrast, CPI’s Annie Raja’s declared assets amount to a modest Rs 72 lakh, with Rs 71 lakh attributed to inherited property. Her financial holdings consist mainly of minimal cash in hand, bank deposits, jewellery, and immovable property. She has declared only Rs 10,000 cash in hand, bank deposits worth Rs 62,000, jewellery worth Rs 25,000 and an inherited property worth Rs 71 lakh. Annie Raja is the general secretary of the CPI’s National Federation of Indian Women and the wife of the party’s general secretary D Raja. 

    The Electoral Duel In Wayanad

    Gandhi, the incumbent from Wayanad, faces a formidable challenge from Annie Raja and state BJP chief K Surendran in the forthcoming elections, scheduled for April 26. Kerala’s parliamentary constituencies will witness polling as part of the nationwide polls, with the nomination deadline set for April 4.

  • ‘Party Directionless…’: Gaurav Vallabh Resigns From Congress

     He informed about his decesion on social media platform ‘X’, where he said that the Congress party is ‘directionless.

  • ‘You Will Always Remain A Hero’: Congress As Manmohan Singh Retires From Rajya Sabha |

    New Delhi: In a poignant farewell gesture, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge penned a heartfelt letter to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, marking his retirement from the Rajya Sabha. In the two-page missive, Kharge reflected on Singh’s remarkable three-decade-long tenure, acknowledging the ”end of an era” in Indian politics. Kharge reminisced about Singh’s global recognition, citing President Obama’s open acknowledgement of the former Prime Minister’s influential voice on the world stage. He expressed personal gratitude for Singh’s counsel and wisdom during his own leadership roles within the Congress Party, praising Singh’s unwavering commitment despite personal challenges.

    In his two-page letter to the former PM, the Congress chief said, “After having served for more than three decades, an era has come to an end.” “I remember President Obama mentioning about you that Whenever the Indian Prime Minister speaks, the whole world listens to him,” Kharge said in the post.

    “Personally, it has been a privilege for me to have been a part of your cabinet. Over the last 10 years, while I have been the leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, you have always been a source of wisdom and someone whose advice I valued. Over the last few years, you have made it a point to be available for the Congress party despite personal inconveniences. For this, the party and I will always remain grateful,” Kharge wrote.

     

    My letter to Former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh ji as he retires from Rajya Sabha, today.

    As you retire today from the Rajya Sabha after having served for more than three decades, an era comes to an end. Very few people can say they have served our nation with more… pic.twitter.com/jSgfwp4cPQ


    — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 2, 2024

     

    Manmohan Singh’s Legacy

    Singh’s departure leaves a void characterized by his quiet yet profound dignity, which Kharge believes the current political landscape sorely lacks. He lauded Singh’s statesmanship, contrasting it with the divisive rhetoric prevalent today.

    The letter highlighted Singh’s principled critique of policies such as demonetization, emphasizing his ability to dissent with grace and substance. Kharge expressed confidence that history would vindicate Singh’s stance, likening the truth to celestial bodies that cannot be obscured indefinitely.

    A Hero To Middle-Class

    Describing Singh as a hero to various segments of society, Kharge lauded his role in uplifting the middle class, inspiring the youth, and guiding industrialists and entrepreneurs. He credited Singh’s economic policies with lifting millions out of poverty, contrasting this with perceived reluctance by the current regime to acknowledge his contributions.

    Impact Of His Policies On Public

    Kharge praised Singh’s tenure as Finance Minister and Prime Minister, citing achievements such as poverty alleviation and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He credited Singh with enacting policies that empowered rural communities and ensured dignified livelihoods during crises. “Thanks to your policies, India was able to lift 27 crore people, the highest number of poor people out of poverty in the world while you were the Prime Minister. The MGNREGA scheme…continues to provide relief to the rural workers during times of crisis. The nation and particularly the rural poor will always remember you for ensuring that they can earn a living and live with self-respect through this scheme,” he said.

    Despite retiring from active politics, Kharge expressed hope that Singh would remain a beacon of wisdom and moral guidance for the nation. He wished Singh peace, health, and happiness in his future endeavours, underlining his enduring importance as a voice of reason in Indian discourse. “Over the last few years, you have made it a point to be available for the Congress party despite personal inconveniences. For this, the party and I will always remain grateful,” he said. Kharge further wrote even as you retire from active politics, I hope that you will continue to be the voice of wisdom and moral compass to the nation by speaking to the citizens of our country as often as possible. I wish you peace, health and happiness.