<p>Predicting that no single party will get a majority in Election 2019, Congress leader<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-priyankas-roadshows-rahuls-rallies-to-heat-up-campaigning-in-delhi-215439&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwju2q7u14viAhVHgI8KHYfPB904ChAWMAR6BAgSEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PSfORO0ToOzb3spmgcxqI"> Jyotiraditya Scindia</a> says his party will forge a strong alliance of like-minded entities to create a "UPA plus plus" government at the Centre and end five years of "injustice".</p>

<p>The days of coalition governments are here to stay, the Congress general secretary, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the electorate of Madhya Pradesh's Guna-Shivpuri seat for a fifth term, said in an interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asked about the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-mueller-should-not-testify-before-us-congress-trump-216223&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwja3Zr514viAhWMLI8KHQ3ADGQQFjABegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw38bQ8rklnW815WQBl03O7R">Congress' </a>chances after five rounds of the seven-phase elections, Scindia said he never quantifies the number of seats but can see that the mood of the people is against the present BJP dispensation.</p>

<p>"My assessment is the Congress party, the UPA government will form the government at the Centre and I am very confident of our performance as a coalition," he said.&nbsp;<br />
"I think the people of India are waiting for the moment to respond to the injustice that has been meted out to them by the Narendra Modi government over the last five years," Scindia said during his election campaign in the region.</p>

<p>It goes without saying that no single party, be it the BJP or the Congress or any other party, is going to get an absolute majority, he said. "It will be a coalition government at the Centre as it is now or has been for the past 25-30 years in the country," the 48-year-old said.&nbsp;"That being said, I firmly believe the UPA will be able to stitch together a very strong coalition government," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asserting that he is not an astrologer, he said he predicted that the Congress and its allies will put together a "very strong performance". "We look forward to putting together a strong coalition government with like-minded parties which will be the UPA or UPA plus plus," he said.&nbsp;The United Progressive Alliance, formed after the 2004 polls and led by the Congress, ruled the country for 10 years with Manmohan Singh as the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>BJP'S NATIONALISM CAMPAIGN</strong></p>

<p>The son of the late Congress stalwart Madhavrao Scindia said the Bharatiya Janata Party was harping on subjects related to nationalism as it had nothing to say on development issues.</p>

<p>"That's very understandable. Because we have always come on the plank of economic growth, development and progress. We have come on the plank of alleviation of poverty. "The BJP has nothing to talk about in its last five years of governance. The last time they were in government, they talked about India Shining. And India was shining only for the BJP but not for the rest of the country," he said.</p>

<p>This time, Scindia added, they came up with the slogan 'ache din' which applied only to a sub-section of a limited coterie of the BJP.&nbsp;"If you ask the common worker of the BJP or even its MPs, not even their 'ache din' have arrived," the former Union minister said. He recalled the mathematical concept of LCM (least common multiple) to say, "The LCM for the BJP is Hindutva and phoney rashtravad (nationalism)," he said.</p>

<p><strong>NYAY&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The Congress leader, who holds sway in the Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh, said he didn't agree that the party's minimum income scheme (NYAY) promise to provide Rs 72,000 per annum to about five crore poor households has not clicked with the masses.</p>

<p>"The judgement will come on (counting day) May 23. So, let's wait. I am very confident the people of India have understood the concept of NYAY. It is not a very difficult concept," he said.</p>

<p><strong>RAHUL GANDHI AS PM&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>An important member of<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/rahul-gandhis-act-of-trashing-ordinance-was-height-of-arrogance-sushma-swaraj-216965&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjMm_2M2IviAhXMQo8KHYuzDtIQFjAHegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3-opH-JPQXb5gf2AY2GWpl"> Rahul Gandhi's</a> core committee, Scindia said the Congress president is the obvious PM choice for them but a final decision will be taken by the UPA's constituents. "We are not like the BJP which believes one man, one way or the highway. We believe in working together and taking everyone along," he said.<br />
"The Congress party is one constituent of the UPA and as far as Congress party is concerned, our voice is very clear that it should be Rahul Gandhi but it will be a collective decision," he said.</p>

<p><strong>Why are these elections important for the Congress?</strong></p>

<p>"It is because of two reasons. One is that we want to save the country from this dictatorial and authoritarian rule that is smashing our Constitution and two, to be able to give a vision for India, for the farmers, for our youth in terms of employment to take our country forward.</p>

<p>"The Congress took the country forward in 10 years of the UPA by delivering a 7.8 per cent compounded annual growth rate of over a decade which is a stupendous achievement that lifted about 25 million people out of poverty. This government has just taken us 20 years back," he said.</p>

<p>So, it's a twin purpose -- it is to salvage our democracy and Constitution and freedom of liberty and rights and to take the country forward, he added.</p>

<p><strong>PM'S COMMENTS ON RAJIV GANDHI&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Modi's recent comment on the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, calling him "corrupt no 1", was distasteful and sad, Scindia said.&nbsp;"It is very hurtful to see that the person occupying the highest chair of this country talking about another person who occupied that same very chair and who is no longer in this world and cast slurs on that person. It does not behove someone who occupies that chair and sad to see that this is the level of politics that Mr Modi has come down to," he said.&nbsp;</p>


Predicting that no single party will get a majority in Election 2019, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia says his party will forge a strong alliance of like-minded entities to create a "UPA plus plus" government at the Centre and end five years of "injustice".

Predicting that no single party will get a majority in Election 2019, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia says his party will forge a strong alliance of like-minded entities to create a "UPA plus plus" government at the Centre and end five years of "injustice". The days of coalition governments are here to stay, the Congress general secretary, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the electorate of Madhya Pradesh's Guna-Shivpuri seat for a fifth term, said in an interview. Asked about the Congress' chances after five rounds of the seven-phase elections, Scindia said he never quantifies the number of seats but can see that the mood of the people is against the present BJP dispensation. "My assessment is the Congress party, the UPA government will form the government at the Centre and I am very confident of our performance as a coalition," he said. "I think the people of India are waiting for the moment to respond to the injustice that has been meted out to them by the Narendra Modi government over the last five years," Scindia said during his election campaign in the region. It goes without saying that no single party, be it the BJP or the Congress or any other party, is going to get an absolute majority, he said. "It will be a coalition government at the Centre as it is now or has been for the past 25-30 years in the country," the 48-year-old said. "That being said, I firmly believe the UPA will be able to stitch together a very strong coalition government," he added. Asserting that he is not an astrologer, he said he predicted that the Congress and its allies will put together a "very strong performance". "We look forward to putting together a strong coalition government with like-minded parties which will be the UPA or UPA plus plus," he said. The United Progressive Alliance, formed after the 2004 polls and led by the Congress, ruled the country for 10 years with Manmohan Singh as the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson. BJP'S NATIONALISM CAMPAIGN The son of the late Congress stalwart Madhavrao Scindia said the Bharatiya Janata Party was harping on subjects related to nationalism as it had nothing to say on development issues. "That's very understandable. Because we have always come on the plank of economic growth, development and progress. We have come on the plank of alleviation of poverty. "The BJP has nothing to talk about in its last five years of governance. The last time they were in government, they talked about India Shining. And India was shining only for the BJP but not for the rest of the country," he said. This time, Scindia added, they came up with the slogan 'ache din' which applied only to a sub-section of a limited coterie of the BJP. "If you ask the common worker of the BJP or even its MPs, not even their 'ache din' have arrived," the former Union minister said. He recalled the mathematical concept of LCM (least common multiple) to say, "The LCM for the BJP is Hindutva and phoney rashtravad (nationalism)," he said. NYAY The Congress leader, who holds sway in the Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh, said he didn't agree that the party's minimum income scheme (NYAY) promise to provide Rs 72,000 per annum to about five crore poor households has not clicked with the masses. "The judgement will come on (counting day) May 23. So, let's wait. I am very confident the people of India have understood the concept of NYAY. It is not a very difficult concept," he said. RAHUL GANDHI AS PM An important member of Rahul Gandhi's core committee, Scindia said the Congress president is the obvious PM choice for them but a final decision will be taken by the UPA's constituents. "We are not like the BJP which believes one man, one way or the highway. We believe in working together and taking everyone along," he said. "The Congress party is one constituent of the UPA and as far as Congress party is concerned, our voice is very clear that it should be Rahul Gandhi but it will be a collective decision," he said. Why are these elections important for the Congress? "It is because of two reasons. One is that we want to save the country from this dictatorial and authoritarian rule that is smashing our Constitution and two, to be able to give a vision for India, for the farmers, for our youth in terms of employment to take our country forward. "The Congress took the country forward in 10 years of the UPA by delivering a 7.8 per cent compounded annual growth rate of over a decade which is a stupendous achievement that lifted about 25 million people out of poverty. This government has just taken us 20 years back," he said. So, it's a twin purpose -- it is to salvage our democracy and Constitution and freedom of liberty and rights and to take the country forward, he added. PM'S COMMENTS ON RAJIV GANDHI Modi's recent comment on the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, calling him "corrupt no 1", was distasteful and sad, Scindia said. "It is very hurtful to see that the person occupying the highest chair of this country talking about another person who occupied that same very chair and who is no longer in this world and cast slurs on that person. It does not behove someone who occupies that chair and sad to see that this is the level of politics that Mr Modi has come down to," he said.

No party will get majority, Congress will forge alliance for 'UPA plus plus' govt: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Indian National Congress: The oldest party of India

<p>India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The mission was completed within three minutes when a pre-determined target satellite some 300 km away in the sky was destroyed using a complicated space manoeuvre, Modi said in a nationally televised speech.</p>

<p>Calling it "Mission Shakti", the Prime Minister said it did not violate any international law.</p>

<p>His address to the nation was widely hailed on social media.</p>

<p>"#MissionShakti is special for 2 reasons: (1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised &amp; modern capability. (2) Entire effort is indigenous. India stands tall as a space power! It will make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony," PM Modi posted on his Twitter handle after the address.</p>

<p>India's main Opposition party, the Congress, congratulated the country's space scientists for the feat.</p>

<p>"We congratulate @isro &amp; the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru &amp; the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements," said a tweet from Congress's official handle.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> &amp; the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru &amp; the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements.</p>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1110805841374928897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>A tweet from Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Congratulations to @DRDO_India &amp; @isro scientists on the success of ‘Mission Shakti’. The success of this mission will help in strengthening India’s defence capabilities. We are proud that our Space &amp; Defence prog has touched unprecedented heights with this glorious achievement."</p>

<p>"Massive Space Leap for India. Kudos to #DRDO scientists for this huge technological advancement. Arrival of #India as #Space Super Power... India only 4th Country after #US, #Russia and #China to acquire anti-satellite missile capability. #MissionShakti," Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said on Twitter.</p>

<p>"Under the able leadership of PM @narendramodi, team @DRDO_India has achieved a remarkable &amp; historic feat. I am feeling proud that #MissionShakti has been successfully conducted making India, the only 4th nation with capability to destroy low orbit satellite using A-SAT missile," tweeted former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.</p>

<p>"Space wars are not just Hollywood fiction. The US, Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful "kill" with an ASAT weapon is significant," strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Without building deterrence by demonstrating an ASAT capability, India risked encouraging an adversary like China to go after Indian space capabilities early in a conflict. To "defend" its satellites, India has to deter China's use of its direct ascent missiles and laser weapons.</p>
— Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chellaney/status/1110808292358533120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi said he wanted to clarify to the world's powers that this new technology was not meant to be used against any country, but that it was for India's defence.</p>

<p>He added India is against a space race, and that "we still follow this policy".</p>


India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.

India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday. The mission was completed within three minutes when a pre-determined target satellite some 300 km away in the sky was destroyed using a complicated space manoeuvre, Modi said in a nationally televised speech. Calling it "Mission Shakti", the Prime Minister said it did not violate any international law. His address to the nation was widely hailed on social media. "#MissionShakti is special for 2 reasons: (1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised & modern capability. (2) Entire effort is indigenous. India stands tall as a space power! It will make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony," PM Modi posted on his Twitter handle after the address. India's main Opposition party, the Congress, congratulated the country's space scientists for the feat. "We congratulate @isro & the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru & the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements," said a tweet from Congress's official handle. We congratulate @isro & the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru & the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements. — Congress (@INCIndia) March 27, 2019 × A tweet from Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Congratulations to @DRDO_India & @isro scientists on the success of ‘Mission Shakti’. The success of this mission will help in strengthening India’s defence capabilities. We are proud that our Space & Defence prog has touched unprecedented heights with this glorious achievement." "Massive Space Leap for India. Kudos to #DRDO scientists for this huge technological advancement. Arrival of #India as #Space Super Power... India only 4th Country after #US, #Russia and #China to acquire anti-satellite missile capability. #MissionShakti," Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said on Twitter. "Under the able leadership of PM @narendramodi, team @DRDO_India has achieved a remarkable & historic feat. I am feeling proud that #MissionShakti has been successfully conducted making India, the only 4th nation with capability to destroy low orbit satellite using A-SAT missile," tweeted former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Space wars are not just Hollywood fiction. The US, Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful "kill" with an ASAT weapon is significant," strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said on Twitter. Without building deterrence by demonstrating an ASAT capability, India risked encouraging an adversary like China to go after Indian space capabilities early in a conflict. To "defend" its satellites, India has to deter China's use of its direct ascent missiles and laser weapons. — Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) March 27, 2019 × Modi said he wanted to clarify to the world's powers that this new technology was not meant to be used against any country, but that it was for India's defence. He added India is against a space race, and that "we still follow this policy".

Mission Shakti: Giant leap for India, say leaders

Lok Sabha polls 2019: A closer look at the key constituents of the United Progressive Alliance

<p>'One failed. The other won't take-off', <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-safe-under-pm-narendra-modis-leadership-says-finance-minister-arun-jaitley-202993">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</a> said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics.<br />
<br />
Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi.<br />
<br />
Continuing the series of his blogs on 'Agenda 2019', he said the Congress tried to remove itself from the shackles of the dynasty for a brief period after the unfortunate assassination of Rajiv Gandhi but could not get out of its clutches for long.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'Smt. Sonia Gandhi then took over as the longest serving President of the Indian National Congress and thereafter passed on the leadership baton of the Party to her son Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'Thus, generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family. When the Party is now in doldrums, another member of the family has entered the scene,'&nbsp;said the senior BJP leader who is in charge of the party's publicity committee.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Jaitley was referring to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/lok-sabha-polls-analysing-the-battle-of-east-up-and-the-priyanka-factor-202815">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a>, who has been recently appointed as Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh.<br />
<br />
The Finance Minister further said: "The key question is - will the dynastic parties learn from their 2014 drubbing and a possible defeat in 2019?&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'Possibly not. It is here that the people of India will have to bring about a change. India is not a monarchy. Neither is it a kingdom or dynastic democracy. Dynasts disapprove persons of talent and merit.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a better choice, he said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Another curious feature, he said, is that most families where a single dynasty created the party, have moved into the next generation.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'In the next generation, there may be more than one heir. Both the heirs become aspirational and, therefore, the parent dynast distributes the largesse. But recent history has proved otherwise,'&nbsp;Jaitley said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He added that Chinese philosopher Confucius had rightly said that just as there can be only one sun in the sky, there can be only one emperor on the Earth.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'Where power-sharing between successor dynasts takes place, who is the ultimate emperor?, 'he wondered as he highlighted instances of family-based political parties in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh.<br />
<br />
In Karnataka, he said there is an experiment of sons sharing the state and the grandsons sharing the Centre, and in Maharashtra, the initial ripples have started.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
'The Congress has undertaken the same experiment. It believes that the two owners are better than one. Will Confucius be proved right and historical record that one eventually prevailed over the other or will it be otherwise. One failed. The other won't take-off,'&nbsp;Jaitley said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On the other hand, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi grew from an extremely humble background.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He worked in the party organization till he was inducted into the leadership and he had to work and struggle for the positions that he got.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'He earned them," Jaitley said and exuded confidence that Modi and aspirational India would together demolish the concept of families.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a choice'&nbsp;the minister remarked.<br />
<br />
India will start voting to elect next Lok Sabha from April 11. The results would be announced on May 23.&nbsp;</p>


'One failed. The other won't take-off', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi.

'One failed. The other won't take-off', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said as he took a jibe on the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics. Generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family, he said as he traced the post-independence history of the party from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Sanjay Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi. Continuing the series of his blogs on 'Agenda 2019', he said the Congress tried to remove itself from the shackles of the dynasty for a brief period after the unfortunate assassination of Rajiv Gandhi but could not get out of its clutches for long. 'Smt. Sonia Gandhi then took over as the longest serving President of the Indian National Congress and thereafter passed on the leadership baton of the Party to her son Rahul Gandhi. 'Thus, generation after generation, the Congress Party's leadership berth is reserved for a member of the preferred family. When the Party is now in doldrums, another member of the family has entered the scene,' said the senior BJP leader who is in charge of the party's publicity committee. Jaitley was referring to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been recently appointed as Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Finance Minister further said: "The key question is - will the dynastic parties learn from their 2014 drubbing and a possible defeat in 2019? 'Possibly not. It is here that the people of India will have to bring about a change. India is not a monarchy. Neither is it a kingdom or dynastic democracy. Dynasts disapprove persons of talent and merit. 'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a better choice, he said. Another curious feature, he said, is that most families where a single dynasty created the party, have moved into the next generation. 'In the next generation, there may be more than one heir. Both the heirs become aspirational and, therefore, the parent dynast distributes the largesse. But recent history has proved otherwise,' Jaitley said. He added that Chinese philosopher Confucius had rightly said that just as there can be only one sun in the sky, there can be only one emperor on the Earth. 'Where power-sharing between successor dynasts takes place, who is the ultimate emperor?, 'he wondered as he highlighted instances of family-based political parties in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka, he said there is an experiment of sons sharing the state and the grandsons sharing the Centre, and in Maharashtra, the initial ripples have started. 'The Congress has undertaken the same experiment. It believes that the two owners are better than one. Will Confucius be proved right and historical record that one eventually prevailed over the other or will it be otherwise. One failed. The other won't take-off,' Jaitley said. On the other hand, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi grew from an extremely humble background. He worked in the party organization till he was inducted into the leadership and he had to work and struggle for the positions that he got. 'He earned them," Jaitley said and exuded confidence that Modi and aspirational India would together demolish the concept of families. 'The real strength of democracy will be realized when the myth of dynasties is finally buried and these parties are taken over by men of competence and merit. That will provide Indians with a choice' the minister remarked. India will start voting to elect next Lok Sabha from April 11. The results would be announced on May 23.

One failed, the other won't take-off, Arun Jaitley's jibe on Congress

<p>The Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress will be contesting together in upcoming Lok Sabha elections, NCP leader Praful Patel said on Saturday.</p>

<p>"We have decided that NCP and Congress will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together on 40 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra," Patel said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Praful Patel, NCP: We have decided that NCP &amp; Congress will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections together on 40 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. However, a decision is yet to be taken for the remaining 8 Lok Sabha seats of the state. <a href="https://t.co/INMjJj9gxr">pic.twitter.com/INMjJj9gxr</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1081391025787088896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"However, a decision is yet to be taken for the remaining 8 Lok Sabha seats of the state," he added.</p>

<p>Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.</p>

<p>In December, NCP president Sharad Pawar had also confirmed that his party and Congress have reached consensus on sharing 40 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats.</p>

<p>"We have decided the seat-sharing on 40 seats, still, eight are left. If any consensus is not reached on remaining eight seats then the final decision will be taken by the two party chiefs in New Delhi," ANI reported Pawar as saying.</p>

<p>During 2014 general elections, the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress had fielded political contenders for 27 constituencies in Maharashtra, while the Pawar-led NCP had contested on 21 seats. Earlier, the seat sharing was fixed at 26:22, but later the NCP decided not to contest from the Hatkanangale constituency as it did not have any contender.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This seat was later contested by the Congress.</p>


Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80.

The Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress will be contesting together in upcoming Lok Sabha elections, NCP leader Praful Patel said on Saturday. "We have decided that NCP and Congress will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together on 40 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra," Patel said. Praful Patel, NCP: We have decided that NCP & Congress will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections together on 40 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. However, a decision is yet to be taken for the remaining 8 Lok Sabha seats of the state. pic.twitter.com/INMjJj9gxr — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2019 × "However, a decision is yet to be taken for the remaining 8 Lok Sabha seats of the state," he added. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh's 80. In December, NCP president Sharad Pawar had also confirmed that his party and Congress have reached consensus on sharing 40 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats. "We have decided the seat-sharing on 40 seats, still, eight are left. If any consensus is not reached on remaining eight seats then the final decision will be taken by the two party chiefs in New Delhi," ANI reported Pawar as saying. During 2014 general elections, the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress had fielded political contenders for 27 constituencies in Maharashtra, while the Pawar-led NCP had contested on 21 seats. Earlier, the seat sharing was fixed at 26:22, but later the NCP decided not to contest from the Hatkanangale constituency as it did not have any contender. This seat was later contested by the Congress.

NCP, Congress to contest Lok Sabha polls together in Maharashtra: Praful Patel

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Thursday that the &quot;constitution, the foundation of our country, is under threat&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The Constitution, the foundation of our country is under threat, it is under attack directly, statements are being made by senior members of BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back and it&#39;s our duty, duty of Congress party and every single Indian to defend it,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gandhi was speaking at the 133rd anniversary of the founding of the Congress party.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress President Rahul Gandhi distributes sweets among children at AICC headquarters on party&#39;s 133rd foundation day <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/dlh520yP9r">pic.twitter.com/dlh520yP9r</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946238242461966336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;What is happening today in our country is a web of deceit,&quot; Rahul added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The BJP operates on the basic idea that lies can be used for political benefit and it is the difference between us and them, we might not do well, we might even lose but we will not give up the truth,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>


Gandhi was speaking at the 133rd anniversary of the founding of the Congress party

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Thursday that the "constitution, the foundation of our country, is under threat". "The Constitution, the foundation of our country is under threat, it is under attack directly, statements are being made by senior members of BJP and it is under attack surreptitiously from the back and it's our duty, duty of Congress party and every single Indian to defend it," he said. Gandhi was speaking at the 133rd anniversary of the founding of the Congress party. Congress President Rahul Gandhi distributes sweets among children at AICC headquarters on party's 133rd foundation day #Delhi pic.twitter.com/dlh520yP9r — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × "What is happening today in our country is a web of deceit," Rahul added. "The BJP operates on the basic idea that lies can be used for political benefit and it is the difference between us and them, we might not do well, we might even lose but we will not give up the truth," he said.

Constitution, the country's foundation, is under threat: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Rahul Gandhi has been elected president of the Indian National Congres.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was elected unopposed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mullappally Ramachandran of the Congress said 89 nomination proposals were received, all of which were valid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Since there was only one candidate, I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as the president of Indian National Congress,&quot; &nbsp;Ramachandran added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ramachandran added that Rahul would officially take over on December 16.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rahul Gandhi will be handed over the certificate of his election as the party President on 16th December in AICC office: Mullappally Ramachandran, Congress <a href="https://t.co/7gb7JTW1zb">pic.twitter.com/7gb7JTW1zb</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940161982342115328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul&#39;s elevation -- which has been in the works for some time now -- brings his mother Sonia Gandhi&#39;s presidency to an end.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sonia has been president of the Congress for 19 years, the longest tenure ever.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Other people from the Nehru-Gandhi family who have been Congress presidents have included Jawaharlal Nehru, his father Motilal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Celebrations broke out outside the Congress party headquarters after the announcement:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Celebration outside Congress office in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> after official announcement of Rahul Gandhi as the Party President. <a href="https://t.co/xRsfHp25xH">pic.twitter.com/xRsfHp25xH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940163506040537088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>And a number of senior leaders voiced their support, but all eyes continue to remain on the Gujarat election:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He has shown his mettle in Gujarat. The entire BJP including the PM himself, 80 ministers are sitting there for a month but are still unable to counter him: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Rahul Gandhi elected as Congress President <a href="https://t.co/Fiqhw2pS2w">pic.twitter.com/Fiqhw2pS2w</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940165917811417089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. Much before he was elected he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Rahul Gandhi elected as Congress President <a href="https://t.co/yvONXuRcFZ">pic.twitter.com/yvONXuRcFZ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940164934486212608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is the worst time in India under present govt. In such time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently: Tarun Gogoi on Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President <a href="https://t.co/oFyfdctNYQ">pic.twitter.com/oFyfdctNYQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940170846898872320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Rahul Gandhi has been elected president of the Indian National Congres. He was elected unopposed. Mullappally Ramachandran of the Congress said 89 nomination proposals were received, all of which were valid. "Since there was only one candidate, I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as the president of Indian National Congress," Ramachandran added. Ramachandran added that Rahul would officially take over on December 16. Rahul Gandhi will be handed over the certificate of his election as the party President on 16th December in AICC office: Mullappally Ramachandran, Congress pic.twitter.com/7gb7JTW1zb — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Rahul's elevation -- which has been in the works for some time now -- brings his mother Sonia Gandhi's presidency to an end. Sonia has been president of the Congress for 19 years, the longest tenure ever. Other people from the Nehru-Gandhi family who have been Congress presidents have included Jawaharlal Nehru, his father Motilal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. Celebrations broke out outside the Congress party headquarters after the announcement: Celebration outside Congress office in #Delhi after official announcement of Rahul Gandhi as the Party President. pic.twitter.com/xRsfHp25xH — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × And a number of senior leaders voiced their support, but all eyes continue to remain on the Gujarat election: He has shown his mettle in Gujarat. The entire BJP including the PM himself, 80 ministers are sitting there for a month but are still unable to counter him: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Rahul Gandhi elected as Congress President pic.twitter.com/Fiqhw2pS2w — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. Much before he was elected he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Rahul Gandhi elected as Congress President pic.twitter.com/yvONXuRcFZ — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × This is the worst time in India under present govt. In such time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently: Tarun Gogoi on Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President pic.twitter.com/oFyfdctNYQ — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 ×

Rahul Gandhi elected Congress president, unopposed

<p>The meeting organised by the Indian National Congress in Delhi against demonetisation wasn&rsquo;t without significance. First, a major function was organised in absence of&nbsp;Congress president Sonia Gandhi and secondly Congress chose the death anniversary of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as the day to organise the function.</p>

<p>Only Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri&rsquo;s photographs were put on the dais.</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi had given the slogan, &rdquo;Mein kahti hun garibi hatao aur vo kehte hain mujhe hatao,&rdquo; and Shastri gave the famous slogan &rdquo;Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan.&rdquo; Sources say that the imagery goes well with the anti-demonetisation drive of the Congress Party as BJP would find it difficult to pin Congress down on Shastri. And Sonia&rsquo;s absence would give Rahul ample space to engage the public&rsquo;s mind.</p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government on the ground that it was&nbsp;a personal decision of Narendra Modi. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t do it because we felt that it would give the desired dividends,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. He also said that Congress did not once interfere&nbsp;in&nbsp;the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Achhe din are only going to come when the Congress party is going to come back to power,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president also said that media is being constrained under the Modi regime. &ldquo;Media also have the responsibility to show what people are going through because of demonetisation,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. He also took the jibe at media by saying,&rdquo; Maybe, we respected the press too much.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The Congress also alleged that they wanted to organise a bigger function but could not because a&nbsp;bigger auditorium wasn&rsquo;t leased out to them.</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president called Ramdev and Bhogle as homemade economists whose decisions the Prime Minister enforced. Congress has decided to make demonetisation a major theme in the forthcoming state Assembly elections.</p>

<p>The same strategy is being deployed by BJP which has linked demonetisation with an&nbsp;anti-corruption drive. In the end, Rahul Gandhi also accused RSS of running the government by saying that only Mohan Bhagwat and Modi are running the government.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The meeting was significant because it was organised in the absence of Sonia Gandhi and it marked Lal Bahadur Shastri's death anniversary

The meeting organised by the Indian National Congress in Delhi against demonetisation wasn’t without significance. First, a major function was organised in absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and secondly Congress chose the death anniversary of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as the day to organise the function. Only Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s photographs were put on the dais. Indira Gandhi had given the slogan, ”Mein kahti hun garibi hatao aur vo kehte hain mujhe hatao,” and Shastri gave the famous slogan ”Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan.” Sources say that the imagery goes well with the anti-demonetisation drive of the Congress Party as BJP would find it difficult to pin Congress down on Shastri. And Sonia’s absence would give Rahul ample space to engage the public’s mind. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government on the ground that it was a personal decision of Narendra Modi. “We didn’t do it because we felt that it would give the desired dividends,” said Rahul Gandhi. He also said that Congress did not once interfere in the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India. “Achhe din are only going to come when the Congress party is going to come back to power,” said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president also said that media is being constrained under the Modi regime. “Media also have the responsibility to show what people are going through because of demonetisation,” said Rahul Gandhi. He also took the jibe at media by saying,” Maybe, we respected the press too much.” The Congress also alleged that they wanted to organise a bigger function but could not because a bigger auditorium wasn’t leased out to them. The Congress vice-president called Ramdev and Bhogle as homemade economists whose decisions the Prime Minister enforced. Congress has decided to make demonetisation a major theme in the forthcoming state Assembly elections. The same strategy is being deployed by BJP which has linked demonetisation with an anti-corruption drive. In the end, Rahul Gandhi also accused RSS of running the government by saying that only Mohan Bhagwat and Modi are running the government.

India: Congress remembers Shastri in Sonia's absence, targets Modi and RSS