Congress president Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10 and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will do the same from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency on April 11, party sources said on Thursday.

Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present with her brother and mother when they file their nomination papers.&nbsp;

The family will be together on both days with Rahul Gandhi accompanying his mother in Rae Bareli and Sonia Gandhi present while he files his papers in Amethi, the sources said.&nbsp;

They said the filing of nomination papers will be a big show of strength and the top Congress leadership will be present.&nbsp;

A road show is also likely to be taken out after the filing of papers, the sources added.

While both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are contesting from the constituencies they have represented for many years, the Congress chief has this time also decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi filed his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-files-nomination-from-wayanad-parliamentary-constituency-207840">nomination papers on Thursday in Wayanad</a>, where he was accompanied by his sister.&nbsp;

Elections in Amethi and Rae Bareli will be held in the fifth phase of elections on May 6. The process of filing of nomination starts on April 10 and continues till April 18.&nbsp;

The Congress has decided to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh after it was left out of the alliance between SP and BSP. They said they will not field any candidates for the two seats being contested by the top Congress leadership.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10 and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will do the same from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency on April 11, party sources said on Thursday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10 and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will do the same from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency on April 11, party sources said on Thursday. Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present with her brother and mother when they file their nomination papers. The family will be together on both days with Rahul Gandhi accompanying his mother in Rae Bareli and Sonia Gandhi present while he files his papers in Amethi, the sources said. They said the filing of nomination papers will be a big show of strength and the top Congress leadership will be present. A road show is also likely to be taken out after the filing of papers, the sources added. While both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are contesting from the constituencies they have represented for many years, the Congress chief has this time also decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers on Thursday in Wayanad, where he was accompanied by his sister. Elections in Amethi and Rae Bareli will be held in the fifth phase of elections on May 6. The process of filing of nomination starts on April 10 and continues till April 18. The Congress has decided to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh after it was left out of the alliance between SP and BSP. They said they will not field any candidates for the two seats being contested by the top Congress leadership.

Rahul to file nomination from Amethi on April 10, Sonia from Rae Bareli on April 11

The reluctance to concede ground to allies and its choice of candidates are sufficient indications that Congress is experimenting with the 2019 general elections to revive its organisational structure, rather than halt BJP’s march. &nbsp;

This is particularly pronounced in politically crucial UP. &nbsp;

Political pundits want to know why Congress has changed its strategy from consolidating secular and democratic forces, to going alone in key states. &nbsp;

Even its earlier plans to prevent the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by adopting soft Hindutva, has been ignored. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Unlike Sonia Gandhi’s strategy that led to the defeat of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2004, Rahul Gandhi has chosen to rebuild the mortgaged and depleted Congress 'haveli’, instead of dealing with the real situation on the ground.&nbsp;

At a time, when the grand old party faces a real political threat, it is surprising that it was still not ready to concede ground to like-minded allies.

Even in Jammu and Kashmir, where the party has no base, it has refused to part with two seats in the Kashmir Valley to ally National Conference or the PDP. Both these parties left two seats in the Jammu region to the Congress, making the contest a cliff hanger for the BJP. &nbsp;

Instead, the Congress has fielded candidates from the north and south Kashmir seats. &nbsp; &nbsp;

In stitching alliances, the NDA has taken the lead, cobbling together 40 parties. It has succeeded in bringing in estranged partners like Shiv Sena and Asom Gana Parishad, who were critical of Modi over the years. &nbsp;

Alliances need sacrifices and BJP has shown the way by sacrificing its ministers and sitting MPs to concede seats to its allies. &nbsp;

In the words of analyst Anurag Modi, the common village voter is hardly influenced by TV debates. His voice may not be heard by those sitting at the highest pedestals, but his time comes when India votes. &nbsp;

Congress’s main challenge is to avoid the fragmentation of this vote. This can only be possible if Rahul Gandhi ignores sycophants around him and toes his mother’s tried and tested line.

Rahul Gandhi’s experiment fits in with the resolution adopted at the September 1998 Congress session at the scenic Pachmarhi hills in Madhya Pradesh. &nbsp;

The party decided to reclaim its lost ground by going to the polls alone, with the exception of few states like Tamil Nadu.

Leaders, more sycophantic than visionary, told Sonia Gandhi in 1998 that the NDA will disappear and meet a fate similar to the Janata Party in 1979, which had ousted the Congress under powerful Indira Gandhi for just two years. &nbsp;

It would appear that Rahul Gandhi has reached similar conclusions about the secular and regional parties thriving at the expense of the Congress. &nbsp;

A senior Congress leader bluntly confided to this writer that while BJP is a political rival, regional secular parties were enemies. “They have eaten into our vote base, making us non-existent in West Bengal, Bihar, UP and Tamil Nadu,” he said. &nbsp;

Sonia learned that going alone will harm the party. In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, fighting solo under Sonia Gandhi, the Congress lost more ground, depleting its numbers further. &nbsp;

Thereafter, the party lost state after state in the assembly elections. Following the 2002 Gujarat riots, CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet approached Sonia and asked her to review the Pachmarhi resolution.&nbsp;

In a brainstorming session at Shimla in July 2003, the party adopted an open-minded approach on pre-poll and post-poll alliances, which, it said will be implemented at the national level.

Soon after the Karnataka assembly elections last year in May, a revival of the 2004 Congress spirit to lead liberal and democratic forces, resurfaced.&nbsp;

It was, in fact, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati who immediately dialled Sonia after the Karnataka election results indicated a fractured mandate. &nbsp;

She reportedly brought the Congress and Janata Dal (S) chief, HD Devegowda, together to keep the BJP at bay in the southern state. She called up Devegowda and convinced him to take Congress support.&nbsp;

Naturally, questions are being asked as to why Rahul didn’t restructure or rebuild the organisation in the last five years.

After its worst defeat in 2014, it was a godsend scenario for the current Congress president to initiate reforms and delegate powers to district committees to choose candidates and be accountable. He had ample time to get the organisation come out of the grip of family loyalists.

The result is that Congress remains in tatters, as Rahul has done nothing except make noises about “structural reforms”. &nbsp;

He first told workers in UP that the party would not be revived in the state unless it contests on its own and then justified an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the last assembly election. &nbsp;

Even though Congress continues to be a central column for any secular alliance, there is need to have clarity on alliances.

Many opposition leaders asked the Congress to emulate a Bihar-type grand alliance at the national level by sacrificing ego.&nbsp;

Tactically, they asked the party to focus on west India, including Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and leave eastern India, basically UP and Bihar, to regional parties to limit seats of the BJP-led NDA. &nbsp;

But in the words of Rasheed Kidwai, a veteran writer on Congress affairs, the party’s 2019 story is bad and muddled. &nbsp;

In addition to Rahul Gandhi’s inexperience, the grand old party lacks self-belief and its ability to communicate and connect, even though it has produced a really sound manifesto. But then Indian elections are not contested on manifestos alone.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-ignoring-key-election-allies-what-is-congress-gameplan-for-ls-poll-2019-2736401">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The reluctance to concede ground to allies and its choice of candidates are sufficient indications that Congress is experimenting with the 2019 general elections to revive its organisational structure, rather than halt BJP’s march.

The reluctance to concede ground to allies and its choice of candidates are sufficient indications that Congress is experimenting with the 2019 general elections to revive its organisational structure, rather than halt BJP’s march. This is particularly pronounced in politically crucial UP. Political pundits want to know why Congress has changed its strategy from consolidating secular and democratic forces, to going alone in key states. Even its earlier plans to prevent the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by adopting soft Hindutva, has been ignored. Unlike Sonia Gandhi’s strategy that led to the defeat of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2004, Rahul Gandhi has chosen to rebuild the mortgaged and depleted Congress 'haveli’, instead of dealing with the real situation on the ground. At a time, when the grand old party faces a real political threat, it is surprising that it was still not ready to concede ground to like-minded allies. Even in Jammu and Kashmir, where the party has no base, it has refused to part with two seats in the Kashmir Valley to ally National Conference or the PDP. Both these parties left two seats in the Jammu region to the Congress, making the contest a cliff hanger for the BJP. Instead, the Congress has fielded candidates from the north and south Kashmir seats. In stitching alliances, the NDA has taken the lead, cobbling together 40 parties. It has succeeded in bringing in estranged partners like Shiv Sena and Asom Gana Parishad, who were critical of Modi over the years. Alliances need sacrifices and BJP has shown the way by sacrificing its ministers and sitting MPs to concede seats to its allies. In the words of analyst Anurag Modi, the common village voter is hardly influenced by TV debates. His voice may not be heard by those sitting at the highest pedestals, but his time comes when India votes. Congress’s main challenge is to avoid the fragmentation of this vote. This can only be possible if Rahul Gandhi ignores sycophants around him and toes his mother’s tried and tested line. Rahul Gandhi’s experiment fits in with the resolution adopted at the September 1998 Congress session at the scenic Pachmarhi hills in Madhya Pradesh. The party decided to reclaim its lost ground by going to the polls alone, with the exception of few states like Tamil Nadu. Leaders, more sycophantic than visionary, told Sonia Gandhi in 1998 that the NDA will disappear and meet a fate similar to the Janata Party in 1979, which had ousted the Congress under powerful Indira Gandhi for just two years. It would appear that Rahul Gandhi has reached similar conclusions about the secular and regional parties thriving at the expense of the Congress. A senior Congress leader bluntly confided to this writer that while BJP is a political rival, regional secular parties were enemies. “They have eaten into our vote base, making us non-existent in West Bengal, Bihar, UP and Tamil Nadu,” he said. Sonia learned that going alone will harm the party. In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, fighting solo under Sonia Gandhi, the Congress lost more ground, depleting its numbers further. Thereafter, the party lost state after state in the assembly elections. Following the 2002 Gujarat riots, CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet approached Sonia and asked her to review the Pachmarhi resolution. In a brainstorming session at Shimla in July 2003, the party adopted an open-minded approach on pre-poll and post-poll alliances, which, it said will be implemented at the national level. Soon after the Karnataka assembly elections last year in May, a revival of the 2004 Congress spirit to lead liberal and democratic forces, resurfaced. It was, in fact, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati who immediately dialled Sonia after the Karnataka election results indicated a fractured mandate. She reportedly brought the Congress and Janata Dal (S) chief, HD Devegowda, together to keep the BJP at bay in the southern state. She called up Devegowda and convinced him to take Congress support. Naturally, questions are being asked as to why Rahul didn’t restructure or rebuild the organisation in the last five years. After its worst defeat in 2014, it was a godsend scenario for the current Congress president to initiate reforms and delegate powers to district committees to choose candidates and be accountable. He had ample time to get the organisation come out of the grip of family loyalists. The result is that Congress remains in tatters, as Rahul has done nothing except make noises about “structural reforms”. He first told workers in UP that the party would not be revived in the state unless it contests on its own and then justified an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the last assembly election. Even though Congress continues to be a central column for any secular alliance, there is need to have clarity on alliances. Many opposition leaders asked the Congress to emulate a Bihar-type grand alliance at the national level by sacrificing ego. Tactically, they asked the party to focus on west India, including Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and leave eastern India, basically UP and Bihar, to regional parties to limit seats of the BJP-led NDA. But in the words of Rasheed Kidwai, a veteran writer on Congress affairs, the party’s 2019 story is bad and muddled. In addition to Rahul Gandhi’s inexperience, the grand old party lacks self-belief and its ability to communicate and connect, even though it has produced a really sound manifesto. But then Indian elections are not contested on manifestos alone. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Ignoring key election allies: Congress lacks ability to communicate and connect

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in an interaction with students in Pune, said that he loves Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he has no anger against him.

"I love Narendra Modi and I have no anger for him (at this point )," Rahul Gandhi said amid chants of 'Modi Modi'.

During the interaction, some students asked Rahul for his comments about his sister Priyanka Gandhi calling him courageous. "I deal with what I'm faced with and I am persistent. If I decide to do something I'll do it. I like to stand for people. And I got the courage through experience," said Rahul.

He also talked about the much-talked-about minimum income scheme NYAY introduced in Congress manifesto and said it will be implemented without raising income tax or burdening the middle class. "Money won't be taken from the middle class and income tax won't be raised," he said adding that all calculations have been done to fund the scheme.

He said the Congress manifesto was prepared after taking inputs from all sections of the society, including farmers and the poor.

"The Congress poll manifesto was prepared after speaking to all stakeholders. We spoke to farmers, students and all the stakeholders of the country," Rahul said.

Asked about employment scenario in the country, he said around 27,000 jobs are being lost per hour in India.

The Congress chief promised to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament, assemblies for women if his party is voted to power.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in an interaction with students in Pune, said that he loves Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he has no anger against him. "I love Narendra Modi and I have no anger for him (at this point )," Rahul Gandhi said amid chants of 'Modi Modi'.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in an interaction with students in Pune, said that he loves Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he has no anger against him. "I love Narendra Modi and I have no anger for him (at this point )," Rahul Gandhi said amid chants of 'Modi Modi'. During the interaction, some students asked Rahul for his comments about his sister Priyanka Gandhi calling him courageous. "I deal with what I'm faced with and I am persistent. If I decide to do something I'll do it. I like to stand for people. And I got the courage through experience," said Rahul. He also talked about the much-talked-about minimum income scheme NYAY introduced in Congress manifesto and said it will be implemented without raising income tax or burdening the middle class. "Money won't be taken from the middle class and income tax won't be raised," he said adding that all calculations have been done to fund the scheme. He said the Congress manifesto was prepared after taking inputs from all sections of the society, including farmers and the poor. "The Congress poll manifesto was prepared after speaking to all stakeholders. We spoke to farmers, students and all the stakeholders of the country," Rahul said. Asked about employment scenario in the country, he said around 27,000 jobs are being lost per hour in India. The Congress chief promised to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament, assemblies for women if his party is voted to power.

I love Narendra Modi, no anger against him: Rahul Gandhi

IEW: Smriti Irani attacks Congress president, says Rahul Gandhi did nothing for Amethi

India Election Watch: Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Wayanad

India Election Watch: Regional parties to have a major say in 2019 elections

India Election Watch: How will Sabarimala affect the political equilibrium in Kerala?

In this year's Lok Sabha elections, some key political battles will determine the fates of many political bigwigs. Among these is the battle royale in Amethi, a small town but holds big political relevance.

Amethi has been the bastion and Lok Sabha constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi since 2004. However, his victory margin suffered a major blow when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Smriti Irani to take on the Gandhi scion in the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the turf of Nehru-Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi has won three consecutive Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014. While his victory margin in 2004 and 2007 were 2,90,853 and 3,70,198, respectively, it was merely 1,07,903 against Smriti Irani in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP was riding on Narendra Modi wave. The close fight showed that Smriti Irani had managed to corner Rahul Gandhi and delivered some crunching blows.

And this year too, the BJP has fielded Amriti Irani from Amethi to take on Rahul Gandhi.

Though Smriti Irani could not win the elections, she made a promise to people of Amethi that she would not turn her back. And since then, the Union minister has been launching a slew of projects and schemes in a bid to turn the fortunes of the people hailing from the Gandhi bastion.

The actress-turned-politician has also been making several trips to Amethi. During one of her visits, in November 2018, Smriti had inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects of various schemes worth Rs 77 crore. And not just this, the Union minister has promised that by 2022, every family in Amethi will have a house and each household will have electricity.

The Congress, meanwhile, announced that Rahul Gandhi will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala. The announcement gave ammunition to BJP who accused Rahul of running away because he has not fulfilled the promises he made to the people of Amethi. But the Congress president hit back claiming that people in South India "feel hostility" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala to send out the message that he stands with them.

Wayanad district is in the north eastern part of Kerala and houses various tribal groups of the state. The area was badly affected due to last year's floods. The Congress is hoping to further consolidate its position this time in Kerala.

Top Congress leaders have contested from the South earlier as well.

The 2014 Lok Sabha election witnessed a fierce contest in Amethi between Smriti Irani and Rahul Gandhi. And with the BJP deciding to retain her candidature in 2019 as well, it will certainly be one of the most dramatic battles to be fought during the Lok Sabha election.

In this year's Lok Sabha elections, some key political battles will determine the fates of many political bigwigs. Among these is the battle royale in Amethi, a small town but holds big political relevance.

In this year's Lok Sabha elections, some key political battles will determine the fates of many political bigwigs. Among these is the battle royale in Amethi, a small town but holds big political relevance. Amethi has been the bastion and Lok Sabha constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi since 2004. However, his victory margin suffered a major blow when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Smriti Irani to take on the Gandhi scion in the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the turf of Nehru-Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi has won three consecutive Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014. While his victory margin in 2004 and 2007 were 2,90,853 and 3,70,198, respectively, it was merely 1,07,903 against Smriti Irani in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP was riding on Narendra Modi wave. The close fight showed that Smriti Irani had managed to corner Rahul Gandhi and delivered some crunching blows. And this year too, the BJP has fielded Amriti Irani from Amethi to take on Rahul Gandhi. Though Smriti Irani could not win the elections, she made a promise to people of Amethi that she would not turn her back. And since then, the Union minister has been launching a slew of projects and schemes in a bid to turn the fortunes of the people hailing from the Gandhi bastion. The actress-turned-politician has also been making several trips to Amethi. During one of her visits, in November 2018, Smriti had inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects of various schemes worth Rs 77 crore. And not just this, the Union minister has promised that by 2022, every family in Amethi will have a house and each household will have electricity. The Congress, meanwhile, announced that Rahul Gandhi will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala. The announcement gave ammunition to BJP who accused Rahul of running away because he has not fulfilled the promises he made to the people of Amethi. But the Congress president hit back claiming that people in South India "feel hostility" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala to send out the message that he stands with them. Wayanad district is in the north eastern part of Kerala and houses various tribal groups of the state. The area was badly affected due to last year's floods. The Congress is hoping to further consolidate its position this time in Kerala. Top Congress leaders have contested from the South earlier as well. The 2014 Lok Sabha election witnessed a fierce contest in Amethi between Smriti Irani and Rahul Gandhi. And with the BJP deciding to retain her candidature in 2019 as well, it will certainly be one of the most dramatic battles to be fought during the Lok Sabha election.

Amethi's battle royale: Smriti Irani to take on Rahul Gandhi again

The Congress and the ruling<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-congress-rules-out-any-alliance-aap-2019-parliamentary-polls-168041&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiKtK3iqrbhAhU373MBHSvNAC8QFggLMAI&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2bS4n0ft4pCCu7sBSzHAnB"> Aam Aadmi Party</a> (AAP) have resumed talks to discuss the<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/party-to-soon-clear-the-air-on-congress-aap-alliance-sheila-dikshit-206894&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjarPijqrbhAhWiguYKHZ23D_0QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3bOmMsSMTFKB9405dom29M"> seat-sharing</a> formula for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, sources said on Thursday.&nbsp;

The speculation of a tie-up between both the parties got a boost with AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh meeting All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Delhi PC Chacko on Wednesday evening.&nbsp;

The ruling AAP has proposed to give two seats to Congress which has instead demanded three – New Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North East Delhi, sources in both the parties claimed. “The two leaders discussed the seat-sharing formula with AAP offering two seats to the Congress,” said a source.

Chacko will convey the offer from the AAP to Congress president Rahul Gandhi who will take a final call on the issue in next few days, the source said. The rationale behind an alliance between the two parties is that together they polled more votes than the BJP which swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning all the seven seats in Delhi.

The AAP has been batting for a tie-up with Congress citing the need to defeat the BJP and replace the Modi government in the national interest. However, Delhi Congress is a divided house, with its president Sheila Dikshit and her three working presidents along with some other leaders opposing a tie-up with the ruling party. Dikshit met Gandhi over the issue twice and conveyed her message to him.

After a meeting with Gandhi last month she claimed there was “unanimity” in the party against an alliance with the AAP. Rajesh Lilothia, working president of Delhi Congress said that alliance will “ruin” the party in Delhi and this stand was clearly stated by Dikshit in her meeting with Rahul Gandhi on April 2.

The Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have resumed talks to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, sources said on Thursday.

The Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have resumed talks to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, sources said on Thursday. The speculation of a tie-up between both the parties got a boost with AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh meeting All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Delhi PC Chacko on Wednesday evening. The ruling AAP has proposed to give two seats to Congress which has instead demanded three – New Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North East Delhi, sources in both the parties claimed. “The two leaders discussed the seat-sharing formula with AAP offering two seats to the Congress,” said a source. Chacko will convey the offer from the AAP to Congress president Rahul Gandhi who will take a final call on the issue in next few days, the source said. The rationale behind an alliance between the two parties is that together they polled more votes than the BJP which swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning all the seven seats in Delhi. The AAP has been batting for a tie-up with Congress citing the need to defeat the BJP and replace the Modi government in the national interest. However, Delhi Congress is a divided house, with its president Sheila Dikshit and her three working presidents along with some other leaders opposing a tie-up with the ruling party. Dikshit met Gandhi over the issue twice and conveyed her message to him. After a meeting with Gandhi last month she claimed there was “unanimity” in the party against an alliance with the AAP. Rajesh Lilothia, working president of Delhi Congress said that alliance will “ruin” the party in Delhi and this stand was clearly stated by Dikshit in her meeting with Rahul Gandhi on April 2.

AAP-Congress alliance back on cards as Sanjay Singh meets PC Chacko over proposed seat-sharing

India's general election: Mahayudh between Congress's old idea of India and Modi's 'Naya Bharat'

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">Congress party on Tuesday</a> released a list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal will contest from the Chandigarh seat.

Besides him, the party has fielded Preneet Kaur from Patiala, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana, Rajkumar Chabbewal Hoshiarpur, Santokh Singh Chaudhary from Jalandhar, Gurjit Singh Aujla from Amritsar and Sunil Jakhar from Gurdaspur in Punjab.

In Gujarat, CJ Chavda will contest from Gandhinagar, Geetaben Patel from Ahmedabad East, Somabhai Patel from Surendranagar and Murubhai Kandoriya from Jamnagar.

In Jharkhand, Subodh Kant Sahay will represent the party from Ranchi, Geeta Kora from Singhbhum and Sukhdeo Bhagat from Lohardaga.

The party has also announced names of Pawan Kajal from Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) and Prabhu Ratnabhai Tokiya from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In Karnataka, Congress has fielded Vinay Kulkarni from Dharwad and HB Manjappa Davanagere.

The Lok Sabha election will start on April 11 and will end on May 19. The result will be announced on May 23.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also released a list of nine candidates for Odisha Assembly election.

The Congress party on Tuesday released a list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal will contest from the Chandigarh seat.

The Congress party on Tuesday released a list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal will contest from the Chandigarh seat. Besides him, the party has fielded Preneet Kaur from Patiala, Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana, Rajkumar Chabbewal Hoshiarpur, Santokh Singh Chaudhary from Jalandhar, Gurjit Singh Aujla from Amritsar and Sunil Jakhar from Gurdaspur in Punjab. In Gujarat, CJ Chavda will contest from Gandhinagar, Geetaben Patel from Ahmedabad East, Somabhai Patel from Surendranagar and Murubhai Kandoriya from Jamnagar. In Jharkhand, Subodh Kant Sahay will represent the party from Ranchi, Geeta Kora from Singhbhum and Sukhdeo Bhagat from Lohardaga. The party has also announced names of Pawan Kajal from Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) and Prabhu Ratnabhai Tokiya from Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In Karnataka, Congress has fielded Vinay Kulkarni from Dharwad and HB Manjappa Davanagere. The Lok Sabha election will start on April 11 and will end on May 19. The result will be announced on May 23. Meanwhile, the Congress has also released a list of nine candidates for Odisha Assembly election.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases list of 20 candidates

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-banerjee-a-speed-breaker-in-bengals-development-modi-in-siliguri-207693">Mamata Banerjee a 'speed breaker' in Bengal's development: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to go for the betterment of the state. He said she was a "speed breaker" in the state's development.&nbsp;

Modi was speaking at an election rally in Siliguri in West Bengal.&nbsp;

"'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee) is a speed breaker in the path of West Bengal's development," Modi said.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-snaps-4-day-winning-streak-drops-180-points-207701">Sensex snaps 4-day winning streak, drops 180 points</a>

Breaking its four-day rising streak, the BSE Sensex dropped about 180 points Wednesday on profit booking and forecast of below-normal monsoon this year.

Despite a strong rally in global equities, Indian market failed to sustain at lifetime highs led by losses in oil and gas, telecom, metal and healthcare stocks.

After swinging nearly 450 points, the 30-share Sensex settled 179.53 points, or 0.46 per cent lower at 38,877.12.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/former-pakistan-intelligence-officer-who-helped-osama-bin-laden-sworn-in-as-minister-report-207692">Former Pakistani IB chief, who reportedly helped Osama bin Laden, sworn in as minister</a>

Despite objections from the Opposition, Pakistan's former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Ijaz Shah, who reportedly helped Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, was sworn in as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday by President Arif Alvi here.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/former-pakistan-intelligence-officer-who-helped-osama-bin-laden-sworn-in-as-minister-report-207692">This is the photograph Sonia Gandhi wanted on Congress manifesto cover</a>

Sonia Gandhi, after going through the Congress manifesto, suggested that the photograph published on page nine could have been used as the cover picture. The photograph showed Congress president Rahul Gandhi sitting with a group of rural women wearing ghoonghats (veils).&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/malaysia-open-saina-nehwal-knocked-out-after-losing-to-thailands-chochuwong-in-first-round-207725">Malaysia Open: Saina Nehwal knocked out in </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/malaysia-open-saina-nehwal-knocked-out-after-losing-to-thailands-chochuwong-in-first-round-207725">first</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/malaysia-open-saina-nehwal-knocked-out-after-losing-to-thailands-chochuwong-in-first-round-207725"> round after losing to Thailand's Chochuwong</a>

Saina Nehwal Wednesday registered a major upset as she lost to Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 15-21, 10-21 in the first round of the Malaysian Open.

Mamata Banerjee a 'speed breaker' in Bengal's development: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to go for the betterment of the state.

Mamata Banerjee a 'speed breaker' in Bengal's development: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to go for the betterment of the state. He said she was a "speed breaker" in the state's development. Modi was speaking at an election rally in Siliguri in West Bengal. "'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee) is a speed breaker in the path of West Bengal's development," Modi said. Sensex snaps 4-day winning streak, drops 180 points Breaking its four-day rising streak, the BSE Sensex dropped about 180 points Wednesday on profit booking and forecast of below-normal monsoon this year. Despite a strong rally in global equities, Indian market failed to sustain at lifetime highs led by losses in oil and gas, telecom, metal and healthcare stocks. After swinging nearly 450 points, the 30-share Sensex settled 179.53 points, or 0.46 per cent lower at 38,877.12. Former Pakistani IB chief, who reportedly helped Osama bin Laden, sworn in as minister Despite objections from the Opposition, Pakistan's former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Ijaz Shah, who reportedly helped Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, was sworn in as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday by President Arif Alvi here. This is the photograph Sonia Gandhi wanted on Congress manifesto cover Sonia Gandhi, after going through the Congress manifesto, suggested that the photograph published on page nine could have been used as the cover picture. The photograph showed Congress president Rahul Gandhi sitting with a group of rural women wearing ghoonghats (veils). Malaysia Open: Saina Nehwal knocked out in first round after losing to Thailand's Chochuwong Saina Nehwal Wednesday registered a major upset as she lost to Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 15-21, 10-21 in the first round of the Malaysian Open.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Has Congress president Rahul Gandhi taken a wrong step forward (or backward) by deciding to contest for the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala? In principle, this is not so, but in practical detail, I think the answer is yes.

It seems to be that the keenly contested general elections this year has begun to resemble a snakes and ladders game. When the Pulwama attack happened, it seemed like the BJP had hit the mouth of a snake, but when the Balakot strikes happened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed to have converted a potential snake into a ladder as national security became mainstream in the election discourse.

Again, when the Congress president upped the ante for Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by announcing a Rs 6,000-per-month basic income scheme for the poorest Indians to counter the NDA government's PM KISAN scheme that offers a fraction of that to farmers, it seemed Rahul Gandhi had begun climbing a ladder.

However, the Wayanad move has turned out to be a snake for Rahul Gandhi, in my opinion, because it gave Modi a chance to hit out against minority-centric politics. We thought the Congress had begun to avoid the minority-ist tag after Rahul Gandhi declared himself a Shiv bhakt to counter insinuations that he was not for Hindus.

BJP's national-security-plus-Hindutva pitch seems to be working substantially across the Hindi belt, though I would not say that about the regions south of the Vindhyas and east of Patna. In this see-saw, snakes-and-ladders election year, Rahul Gandhi is stronger than what his critics might say but is weaker than what his supporters might think.

The Wayanad gambit invites charges that the Congress needs to avoid if it is to remain a national party because the sentiments whipped up by the BJP are such that even a please-all manifesto of the kind Congress released this week has limitations despite its sense of painstaking detail. The cynic might say speeches matter more than manifestos.

I have also been reading that the anti-incumbency factor in elections has been receding since 2002 in India, and this means Congress needs to go more than that extra mile.

The Wayanad shift by Rahul Gandhi has made the CPM counter the Congress when one thought they were teaming up to beat the BJP. With friends like that, Congress is definitely on a tricky wicket. If you had asked me which seat Rahul G would contest from if the south was a priority, I would have guessed Medak in Telangana because that is the place from where his grandmother Indira Gandhi won in 1980 on her comeback after the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the post-Emergency elections in 1977. Of course, this would mean playing ball with K Chandrashekar Rao, the Telangana Chief Minister, who won the seat in 2014 before relinquishing it to become the CM of the newly-carved state. KCR now is pulling his own line as a "Third Front" leader, mocking both the Congress and the BJP.

Now, here is the deal. Mainstream Telugu parties like the YSR Congress and Telugu Desam Party are discredited in Telangana because they staunchly opposed the division of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. KCR is enjoying a long political honeymoon thanks to his decades of leadership for the movement that created the state he is ruling. But somewhere, the anti-incumbency factor kicks in, and that would help the Congress. Given that KCR walks the tightrope between the BJP and Muslim groups alike, befriending him would have helped the Congress as a tactical alliance. The Congress is the natural inheritor of the opposition mantle in Telangana, given its support for the formation of the state and its socio-economic platform that helps farmers, Dalits and minorities in the region. Being gracious to KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samiti here now would have fortified Congress in the north while building a beach-head in the south. That would have required Rahul Gandhi to go that extra mile.

But if there is one thing the Congress does not know, it is going that extra mile. Like the Maharajas who sported their royal turbans long after Independence in 1947, the Congress has an identity crisis in which it has to choose between defeating the BJP and retaining its identity.

The Congress is reluctant to live down memories of an overarching, imperious "Grand Old Party" of India. It does not know that winning and keeping allies is an art. Modi won power in 2014 on the BJP's own strength, but his party has been nice to those who stood by him in difficult times and has even kissed and made up with a difficult ally like Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) in Bihar.&nbsp;

Under a fourth-generation PM aspirant, one would have thought Congress would shed its modern maharaja attitude under Rahul Gandhi. There is not enough sign of it so far, though the manifesto he has outlined is a dramatically democratic one. Given that he is coming out with his own ideas and crafting his own set of advisers, his decision to contest from Wayanad is strange because the move smells of the Congress of yore. Habits die hard, it seems.

What all this means on the political chessboard is that by gaining a pawn in Kerala, Congress may be losing a rook and a bishop in Rajasthan or MP. In plain English, Rahul Gandhi may win in Wayanad, but Modi's BJP will win more seats in the north thanks to that.&nbsp;

Ultimately, politics is a game in which when a throw of dice is done well, the board changes from snakes and ladders to chess. That's dicey.

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/rahul-gandhis-mistake-congress-may-have-gained-if-he-contested-in-the-north-than-wayanad-2192177.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

Has Congress president Rahul Gandhi taken a wrong step forward (or backward) by deciding to contest for the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala? In principle, this is not so, but in practical detail, I think the answer is yes.

Has Congress president Rahul Gandhi taken a wrong step forward (or backward) by deciding to contest for the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala? In principle, this is not so, but in practical detail, I think the answer is yes. It seems to be that the keenly contested general elections this year has begun to resemble a snakes and ladders game. When the Pulwama attack happened, it seemed like the BJP had hit the mouth of a snake, but when the Balakot strikes happened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed to have converted a potential snake into a ladder as national security became mainstream in the election discourse. Again, when the Congress president upped the ante for Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by announcing a Rs 6,000-per-month basic income scheme for the poorest Indians to counter the NDA government's PM KISAN scheme that offers a fraction of that to farmers, it seemed Rahul Gandhi had begun climbing a ladder. However, the Wayanad move has turned out to be a snake for Rahul Gandhi, in my opinion, because it gave Modi a chance to hit out against minority-centric politics. We thought the Congress had begun to avoid the minority-ist tag after Rahul Gandhi declared himself a Shiv bhakt to counter insinuations that he was not for Hindus. BJP's national-security-plus-Hindutva pitch seems to be working substantially across the Hindi belt, though I would not say that about the regions south of the Vindhyas and east of Patna. In this see-saw, snakes-and-ladders election year, Rahul Gandhi is stronger than what his critics might say but is weaker than what his supporters might think. The Wayanad gambit invites charges that the Congress needs to avoid if it is to remain a national party because the sentiments whipped up by the BJP are such that even a please-all manifesto of the kind Congress released this week has limitations despite its sense of painstaking detail. The cynic might say speeches matter more than manifestos. I have also been reading that the anti-incumbency factor in elections has been receding since 2002 in India, and this means Congress needs to go more than that extra mile. The Wayanad shift by Rahul Gandhi has made the CPM counter the Congress when one thought they were teaming up to beat the BJP. With friends like that, Congress is definitely on a tricky wicket. If you had asked me which seat Rahul G would contest from if the south was a priority, I would have guessed Medak in Telangana because that is the place from where his grandmother Indira Gandhi won in 1980 on her comeback after the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the post-Emergency elections in 1977. Of course, this would mean playing ball with K Chandrashekar Rao, the Telangana Chief Minister, who won the seat in 2014 before relinquishing it to become the CM of the newly-carved state. KCR now is pulling his own line as a "Third Front" leader, mocking both the Congress and the BJP. Now, here is the deal. Mainstream Telugu parties like the YSR Congress and Telugu Desam Party are discredited in Telangana because they staunchly opposed the division of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. KCR is enjoying a long political honeymoon thanks to his decades of leadership for the movement that created the state he is ruling. But somewhere, the anti-incumbency factor kicks in, and that would help the Congress. Given that KCR walks the tightrope between the BJP and Muslim groups alike, befriending him would have helped the Congress as a tactical alliance. The Congress is the natural inheritor of the opposition mantle in Telangana, given its support for the formation of the state and its socio-economic platform that helps farmers, Dalits and minorities in the region. Being gracious to KCR's Telangana Rashtra Samiti here now would have fortified Congress in the north while building a beach-head in the south. That would have required Rahul Gandhi to go that extra mile. But if there is one thing the Congress does not know, it is going that extra mile. Like the Maharajas who sported their royal turbans long after Independence in 1947, the Congress has an identity crisis in which it has to choose between defeating the BJP and retaining its identity. The Congress is reluctant to live down memories of an overarching, imperious "Grand Old Party" of India. It does not know that winning and keeping allies is an art. Modi won power in 2014 on the BJP's own strength, but his party has been nice to those who stood by him in difficult times and has even kissed and made up with a difficult ally like Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) in Bihar. Under a fourth-generation PM aspirant, one would have thought Congress would shed its modern maharaja attitude under Rahul Gandhi. There is not enough sign of it so far, though the manifesto he has outlined is a dramatically democratic one. Given that he is coming out with his own ideas and crafting his own set of advisers, his decision to contest from Wayanad is strange because the move smells of the Congress of yore. Habits die hard, it seems. What all this means on the political chessboard is that by gaining a pawn in Kerala, Congress may be losing a rook and a bishop in Rajasthan or MP. In plain English, Rahul Gandhi may win in Wayanad, but Modi's BJP will win more seats in the north thanks to that. Ultimately, politics is a game in which when a throw of dice is done well, the board changes from snakes and ladders to chess. That's dicey. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad choice could hurt Congress in the North

Congress to release manifesto today

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - April 2nd, 2019

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Decoding Congress's manifesto

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'</a>

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/avoiding-temptation-rbi-likely-to-cut-key-rate-by-just-25-basis-points-207455">Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts</a>

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487">What exactly does the Congress manifesto say?&nbsp;</a>

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-chief-antonio-guterres-warns-against-rising-anti-muslim-hatred-207514">UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred</a>

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-lawmakers-to-try-to-force-pm-may-to-seek-further-brexit-delay-207516">British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay</a>

A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir. Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction. What exactly does the Congress manifesto say? The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous". Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say? UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people. British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

Unemployment, woman safety, education, national security,&nbsp;healthcare, farmers distress and&nbsp;Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) for poor are the key issues in Congress manifesto, said Congress president&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi as he released party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha&nbsp;elections&nbsp;on Tuesday at the party headquarters in New Delhi.&nbsp;

There are five main themes in Congress manifesto, first among them is minimum income scheme NYAY under which Rs 72,000 will be given to poorest, he said.

''Not a single lie has been incorporated in the manifesto,'' Gandhi said.

''Whatever is going to be in this manifesto has to be truthful, I do not want a single thing in this manifesto that is a lie because we have been hearing a large number of lies spoken every day by our PM,'' Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress president also said that there will be a separate budget for farmers and 150 days guaranteed employment under MNREGA.

''PM had spoken about MGNREGA. He mocked and said it is a bogus and useless scheme. Today everyone knows how much it helped the country. So now we want to guarantee jobs for 150 days, instead of 100 days, under the scheme.'' Rahul said.

Congress will allocate six&nbsp;per cent of GDP to education and strengthen government&nbsp;hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to the poor, he added.

On his decision to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul said, ''South India feels hostility from Narendra Modi; I wanted to send a message, I am standing with you."

Several heavyweight Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram and several others were present.&nbsp;

Unemployment, woman safety, education, national security, healthcare, farmers distress and Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) for poor are the key issues in Congress manifesto, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi as he released party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Unemployment, woman safety, education, national security, healthcare, farmers distress and Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) for poor are the key issues in Congress manifesto, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi as he released party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday at the party headquarters in New Delhi. There are five main themes in Congress manifesto, first among them is minimum income scheme NYAY under which Rs 72,000 will be given to poorest, he said. ''Not a single lie has been incorporated in the manifesto,'' Gandhi said. ''Whatever is going to be in this manifesto has to be truthful, I do not want a single thing in this manifesto that is a lie because we have been hearing a large number of lies spoken every day by our PM,'' Rahul Gandhi said. Congress president also said that there will be a separate budget for farmers and 150 days guaranteed employment under MNREGA. ''PM had spoken about MGNREGA. He mocked and said it is a bogus and useless scheme. Today everyone knows how much it helped the country. So now we want to guarantee jobs for 150 days, instead of 100 days, under the scheme.'' Rahul said. Congress will allocate six per cent of GDP to education and strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to the poor, he added. On his decision to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul said, ''South India feels hostility from Narendra Modi; I wanted to send a message, I am standing with you." Several heavyweight Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram and several others were present.

Congress unveils party manifesto titled 'Congress will deliver' 

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature. From the time it became officially known that the Congress president would fight from Wayanad in Kerala, in addition to re-contesting from Amethi — from where he is the sitting Member of Parliament — his party has been trying to justify the decision using various ways. Whether that defence sounds credible is one matter, but the fact that the Congress has been pushed to the back foot should be a source of satisfaction for the Bharatiya Janata Party.&nbsp; 
 
Congress has given two broad explanations. The first is that it is not unusual for politicians to contest from two constituencies. The party has pointed to Narendra Modi fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Vadodara. There are many other examples too, but the Modi analogy is flawed. Leaders generally take this route to be ‘safe’, in case the feedback from one constituency is not very assuring. Modi was not a Lok Sabha MP when he decided to take the national plunge. He had 26 ‘safe’ seats in Gujarat, and thus safety could not have been a reason for his choice of Varanasi as an additional constituency.&nbsp;

The idea was to energise his party in Uttar Pradesh where once the BJP was strong but had fallen on bad times since the previous two decades. Besides, Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, was the key to win over the Centre. We now know that the strategy worked wonderfully for the party.&nbsp; 
 
Rahul Gandhi won in 2014 with a vastly reduced margin as compared to 2009 from Amethi. And this happened when he faced a newcomer to electoral politics, Smriti Irani. It needs to be remembered that, in a show of arrogance which is characteristic of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had then quipped: “Irani who?” Since then, Irani has maintained close touch with the constituency, arguably visiting it more frequently than the incumbent MP. The so-called Nehru-Gandhi bastion fell to the BJP in the 2017 State elections, where the Congress could not win a single Assembly constituency. &nbsp;

Over the last five years, with the BJP regime at the Centre and later in the state, Rahul Gandhi’s constituency has benefitted from the equation. The development in the period and lack of it in the previous times despite the Congress chief being its representative is the narrative that the BJP has been relentlessly pushing in the constituency. There is an additional factor to be considered — the refusal of the SP-BSP combine to put up a candidate in the constituency. Apparently, this has been done as a token of magnanimity, and to also ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not split. But it is a double-edged sword. There is no certainty that a majority of the votes that would have gone to SP-BSP candidate will fall in the Congress’s kitty. There is a possibility that some of them might end up in the BJP’s coffer, especially if neither Mayawati nor Akhilesh campaigns for Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

In sum, the Congress president faces a tougher contest than even the last time, and this is probably the reason why he has chosen a ‘safe’ seat in Wayanad. How safe even that, remains to be seen, given that the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which too in the fray from that constituency, has vowed to defeat the Congress heavyweight.&nbsp;

The second explanation the Congress has given for the Wayanad choice is that the party wants to ‘bridge’ the north-south divide, carry forward Indira Gandhi’s south-bound legacy, and boost the Congress’s prospects in Kerala. The fact is that Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikmagalur in Karnataka after facing a shocking and humiliating defeat from Rae Bareli in the post-Emergency elections. Karnataka had big leaders from the ruling Janata Dal at the Centre, and yet she won because by then the Janata Party experiment had just about begun to fall apart. The narrative of the north-south divide is specious because by that logic there must have been a west-north divide too when Modi contested from Vadodara and Varanasi — and he managed to bridge it! As for boosting the Congress’s chances in the state, that, for now, remains a fond hope.&nbsp;

The fact is: The choice of Wayanad is self-explanatory, and it has nothing to do with bridging any regional divide or taking a legacy forward. According to the 2011 Census, the percentage of Muslim and Christian population taken together is over 50 per cent, and the Congress believes that the demographics provided a safe enough cushion for Rahul Gandhi to emerge victorious. As per the same Census, nearly 95 per cent of the population lives in rural regions which, the Congress calculates, can be exploited in the party’s favour. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature.

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature. From the time it became officially known that the Congress president would fight from Wayanad in Kerala, in addition to re-contesting from Amethi — from where he is the sitting Member of Parliament — his party has been trying to justify the decision using various ways. Whether that defence sounds credible is one matter, but the fact that the Congress has been pushed to the back foot should be a source of satisfaction for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Congress has given two broad explanations. The first is that it is not unusual for politicians to contest from two constituencies. The party has pointed to Narendra Modi fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Vadodara. There are many other examples too, but the Modi analogy is flawed. Leaders generally take this route to be ‘safe’, in case the feedback from one constituency is not very assuring. Modi was not a Lok Sabha MP when he decided to take the national plunge. He had 26 ‘safe’ seats in Gujarat, and thus safety could not have been a reason for his choice of Varanasi as an additional constituency. The idea was to energise his party in Uttar Pradesh where once the BJP was strong but had fallen on bad times since the previous two decades. Besides, Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, was the key to win over the Centre. We now know that the strategy worked wonderfully for the party. Rahul Gandhi won in 2014 with a vastly reduced margin as compared to 2009 from Amethi. And this happened when he faced a newcomer to electoral politics, Smriti Irani. It needs to be remembered that, in a show of arrogance which is characteristic of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had then quipped: “Irani who?” Since then, Irani has maintained close touch with the constituency, arguably visiting it more frequently than the incumbent MP. The so-called Nehru-Gandhi bastion fell to the BJP in the 2017 State elections, where the Congress could not win a single Assembly constituency. Over the last five years, with the BJP regime at the Centre and later in the state, Rahul Gandhi’s constituency has benefitted from the equation. The development in the period and lack of it in the previous times despite the Congress chief being its representative is the narrative that the BJP has been relentlessly pushing in the constituency. There is an additional factor to be considered — the refusal of the SP-BSP combine to put up a candidate in the constituency. Apparently, this has been done as a token of magnanimity, and to also ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not split. But it is a double-edged sword. There is no certainty that a majority of the votes that would have gone to SP-BSP candidate will fall in the Congress’s kitty. There is a possibility that some of them might end up in the BJP’s coffer, especially if neither Mayawati nor Akhilesh campaigns for Rahul Gandhi. In sum, the Congress president faces a tougher contest than even the last time, and this is probably the reason why he has chosen a ‘safe’ seat in Wayanad. How safe even that, remains to be seen, given that the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which too in the fray from that constituency, has vowed to defeat the Congress heavyweight. The second explanation the Congress has given for the Wayanad choice is that the party wants to ‘bridge’ the north-south divide, carry forward Indira Gandhi’s south-bound legacy, and boost the Congress’s prospects in Kerala. The fact is that Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikmagalur in Karnataka after facing a shocking and humiliating defeat from Rae Bareli in the post-Emergency elections. Karnataka had big leaders from the ruling Janata Dal at the Centre, and yet she won because by then the Janata Party experiment had just about begun to fall apart. The narrative of the north-south divide is specious because by that logic there must have been a west-north divide too when Modi contested from Vadodara and Varanasi — and he managed to bridge it! As for boosting the Congress’s chances in the state, that, for now, remains a fond hope. The fact is: The choice of Wayanad is self-explanatory, and it has nothing to do with bridging any regional divide or taking a legacy forward. According to the 2011 Census, the percentage of Muslim and Christian population taken together is over 50 per cent, and the Congress believes that the demographics provided a safe enough cushion for Rahul Gandhi to emerge victorious. As per the same Census, nearly 95 per cent of the population lives in rural regions which, the Congress calculates, can be exploited in the party’s favour. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Rahul Gandhi chose to contest from Wayanad because Amethi may no longer be a 'safe' seat for him

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that in three terms as a member of parliament from Amethi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has nothing done for his constituency.&nbsp;

Sitharaman made her comments at Zee News's '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-will-remain-out-of-power-for-at-least-5-years-says-amit-shah-207273">India ka DNA</a>' conclave in Delhi. She was in conversation with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary. &nbsp;

"Amethi is so backward," she said. Nothing has been done for it.&nbsp;

"Smriti Irani, despite losing, has done something for Amethi," Sitharaman added.&nbsp;

Irani, the union minister for textiles, had lost to Rahul in 2014. She will fight him again from there in 2019.&nbsp;

Sitharaman added that Rahul had asked no questions about Amethi in parliament in his three terms as MP.&nbsp;

Sitharaman went on to say that it was because of this — the lack of development in Amethi — that Rahul had chosen to also fight the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala.&nbsp;

He's gone there for "safety", she said.&nbsp;

Chaudhary reminder her at that point that "over 50%" of Wayanad's population is made up of minorities.&nbsp;

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that in three terms as a member of parliament from Amethi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has nothing done for his constituency.

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that in three terms as a member of parliament from Amethi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has nothing done for his constituency. Sitharaman made her comments at Zee News's 'India ka DNA' conclave in Delhi. She was in conversation with Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary. "Amethi is so backward," she said. Nothing has been done for it. "Smriti Irani, despite losing, has done something for Amethi," Sitharaman added. Irani, the union minister for textiles, had lost to Rahul in 2014. She will fight him again from there in 2019. Sitharaman added that Rahul had asked no questions about Amethi in parliament in his three terms as MP. Sitharaman went on to say that it was because of this — the lack of development in Amethi — that Rahul had chosen to also fight the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala. He's gone there for "safety", she said. Chaudhary reminder her at that point that "over 50%" of Wayanad's population is made up of minorities.

In 3 terms as MP, Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for Amethi: Nirmala Sitharaman at 'India ka DNA' conclave

Facebook to remove 687 Cong-linked pages on bases of behavior, content

As you move away from Delhi, one understands that election has become regional and local despite the powerful narrative of nationalism married to Hindutva injected by BJP continues to dominate social media and TV screens. &nbsp;

It also holds true for the Congress which has decided to push Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) as its main electoral plank against BJP. Like nationalism driven campaign, it also hangs as one of the themes of the Lok Sabha elections. As of now, as the battle for phase one begins, regional issues have started to gain ground, making elections diverse and less Modi-centric.&nbsp;

For example, with SP-BSP-RLD combine in play, BJP cannot repeat its performance this time in UP. Unlike 2014, where election revolved around Modi, caste, candidates, local issues and delivery programmes of the government are also participating in the campaign in the state and not to mention the problem of stray cattle.&nbsp;

Same is the case with other states. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are contesting elections on strong regional issues revolving around regional pride, regional discrimination and welfare schemes. BJP has seen green shoots in Kerala, but there too, the issues are regional. Even Sabarimala has not been able to acquire sentiment of national proportion which Ayodhya did in the 1990s. Though BJP is expected to open an account in the state. 
 
The story in Tamil Nadu is also similar. It is a fight between two regional parties over regional issues and both the BJP and Congress claim a very small role. So whatever the result may be, a regional player will be the winner.

The state of Karnataka saw BJP’s resurgence during assembly elections but it had more to do with its brilliant performance in SC seats than because of urban voters - who these days are voting for BJP. Nonetheless, Karnataka is like UP where BJP can give a tough fight to the JDS-Congress alliance

In states like Odisha and West Bengal, where BJP has made inroads, election again is being fought on regional issues. Both BJD and TMC are fighting elections on pro-welfare agenda in the state. Though BJP again expected to do better, has not gone beyond criticism of Mamta Banerjee. 
&nbsp; 
Another example is that of the North East, an area where BJP had done exceptionally well. Even there, the issues are regional like, cross border migration and citizenship amendment bill. Before the citizenship amendment bill, BJP was all set to sweep the area but now it is difficult to say which way the election will turn after protests broke out in NE over the bill.&nbsp;

In Bihar, BJP is strong and well entrenched but it rests on the shoulder of Nitish Kumar, unlike 2014 when it swept the state on Modi’s name. Both Haryana and Punjab are voting on regional issues too. Haryana has witnessed strong pro BJP consolidation on anti-Jat line and in Punjab Congress has gained because of anti- SAD sentiment continues to persist and AAP has completely collapsed in the state.&nbsp;

Even big states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Rajasthan are being fought on regional issues ranging from caste reservation, agrarian loans, candidature, hard Hindutva and etc. It is not to say that the direct benefit schemes introduced by the Prime Minister including welfare projects will have no impact on the electorate but will short when it comes to the creation of a wave like 2014. Even in the 2017 assembly election, the results were more out of Hindu-Muslim polarisation than the success of Ujjwala scheme.&nbsp;

More so, the injection of hard Hindutva in body politics by BJP will add and subtract votes at the same time which was not the case in 2014 elections which were solely focussed around New India. 
 
The states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh too will be fought on the basis of candidates and performance of the respective governments. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state that will respond to the policy decision of the BJP and promises it is making during national elections.

If one looks at the election history, victory comes often at the time when things seem lost. No one thought within the Opposition that they would be able to defeat the Congress in 1977. Even Rajiv Gandhi did fathom his scale of defeat in 1989. His campaign, Mera Bharat Mahan was a royal flop. Narasimha Rao felt that he was winning the election in 1996. &nbsp;In 2004 every political pundit wrote off Congress party but it was BJP who lost elections under the weight of Shining India campaign. Even in 2009, not a single political pundit gave Congress more than 200 seats and very few people believed that BJP would get a simple majority in 2014.&nbsp;

There is no doubt that propaganda of BJP is loud, and the Congress party’s electoral campaign is weak and badly coordinated. In fact, the campaign does not stand anywhere close to BJP but even then, voters have a way of surprising powerful people.

This election holds the capacity to put regional parties at the forefront of decision making as gain and loss of both BJP and Congress ‘can’ be incremental because of regional placement of the elections.&nbsp;

BJP is trying to polarise it on the national security issue, but it has not been able to create a surge in the electorate. Even the Kargil war did not help Vajpayee during elections. In the case of BJP and Congress getting confined within 270 to 300 seats, regional players will emerge as the king makers. This is scenario one.&nbsp;

But if Lok Sabha elections follow the old hard pattern of Indian politics, then BJP may end up with a shocking result which is - where a losing side ends up with a huge loss and gainer ends up with most.

It happened with BJP in 2014, wherein it got a simple majority and Congress who thought it may end up with 100 seats ended up with 44.&nbsp;

If this scenario is reversed with current issues in play, India is looking at a fractured Parliament where the difference between BJP and Congress can stand anywhere between 50 to 70 seats with BJP in the lead.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

As you move away from Delhi, one understands that election has become regional and local despite the powerful narrative of nationalism married to Hindutva injected by BJP continues to dominate social media and TV screens.

As you move away from Delhi, one understands that election has become regional and local despite the powerful narrative of nationalism married to Hindutva injected by BJP continues to dominate social media and TV screens. It also holds true for the Congress which has decided to push Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) as its main electoral plank against BJP. Like nationalism driven campaign, it also hangs as one of the themes of the Lok Sabha elections. As of now, as the battle for phase one begins, regional issues have started to gain ground, making elections diverse and less Modi-centric. For example, with SP-BSP-RLD combine in play, BJP cannot repeat its performance this time in UP. Unlike 2014, where election revolved around Modi, caste, candidates, local issues and delivery programmes of the government are also participating in the campaign in the state and not to mention the problem of stray cattle. Same is the case with other states. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are contesting elections on strong regional issues revolving around regional pride, regional discrimination and welfare schemes. BJP has seen green shoots in Kerala, but there too, the issues are regional. Even Sabarimala has not been able to acquire sentiment of national proportion which Ayodhya did in the 1990s. Though BJP is expected to open an account in the state. The story in Tamil Nadu is also similar. It is a fight between two regional parties over regional issues and both the BJP and Congress claim a very small role. So whatever the result may be, a regional player will be the winner. The state of Karnataka saw BJP’s resurgence during assembly elections but it had more to do with its brilliant performance in SC seats than because of urban voters - who these days are voting for BJP. Nonetheless, Karnataka is like UP where BJP can give a tough fight to the JDS-Congress alliance In states like Odisha and West Bengal, where BJP has made inroads, election again is being fought on regional issues. Both BJD and TMC are fighting elections on pro-welfare agenda in the state. Though BJP again expected to do better, has not gone beyond criticism of Mamta Banerjee. Another example is that of the North East, an area where BJP had done exceptionally well. Even there, the issues are regional like, cross border migration and citizenship amendment bill. Before the citizenship amendment bill, BJP was all set to sweep the area but now it is difficult to say which way the election will turn after protests broke out in NE over the bill. In Bihar, BJP is strong and well entrenched but it rests on the shoulder of Nitish Kumar, unlike 2014 when it swept the state on Modi’s name. Both Haryana and Punjab are voting on regional issues too. Haryana has witnessed strong pro BJP consolidation on anti-Jat line and in Punjab Congress has gained because of anti- SAD sentiment continues to persist and AAP has completely collapsed in the state. Even big states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Rajasthan are being fought on regional issues ranging from caste reservation, agrarian loans, candidature, hard Hindutva and etc. It is not to say that the direct benefit schemes introduced by the Prime Minister including welfare projects will have no impact on the electorate but will short when it comes to the creation of a wave like 2014. Even in the 2017 assembly election, the results were more out of Hindu-Muslim polarisation than the success of Ujjwala scheme. More so, the injection of hard Hindutva in body politics by BJP will add and subtract votes at the same time which was not the case in 2014 elections which were solely focussed around New India. The states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh too will be fought on the basis of candidates and performance of the respective governments. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state that will respond to the policy decision of the BJP and promises it is making during national elections. If one looks at the election history, victory comes often at the time when things seem lost. No one thought within the Opposition that they would be able to defeat the Congress in 1977. Even Rajiv Gandhi did fathom his scale of defeat in 1989. His campaign, Mera Bharat Mahan was a royal flop. Narasimha Rao felt that he was winning the election in 1996. In 2004 every political pundit wrote off Congress party but it was BJP who lost elections under the weight of Shining India campaign. Even in 2009, not a single political pundit gave Congress more than 200 seats and very few people believed that BJP would get a simple majority in 2014. There is no doubt that propaganda of BJP is loud, and the Congress party’s electoral campaign is weak and badly coordinated. In fact, the campaign does not stand anywhere close to BJP but even then, voters have a way of surprising powerful people. This election holds the capacity to put regional parties at the forefront of decision making as gain and loss of both BJP and Congress ‘can’ be incremental because of regional placement of the elections. BJP is trying to polarise it on the national security issue, but it has not been able to create a surge in the electorate. Even the Kargil war did not help Vajpayee during elections. In the case of BJP and Congress getting confined within 270 to 300 seats, regional players will emerge as the king makers. This is scenario one. But if Lok Sabha elections follow the old hard pattern of Indian politics, then BJP may end up with a shocking result which is - where a losing side ends up with a huge loss and gainer ends up with most. It happened with BJP in 2014, wherein it got a simple majority and Congress who thought it may end up with 100 seats ended up with 44. If this scenario is reversed with current issues in play, India is looking at a fractured Parliament where the difference between BJP and Congress can stand anywhere between 50 to 70 seats with BJP in the lead. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

BJP’s nationalist narrative driving TV debates but may not get party the result it wants

Putting an end to speculation, Congress on Sunday said that the party president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad in Kerala along with family bastion Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Congress leader AK Antony made the announcement in a press conference at the party headquarters on Sunday and said Gandhi has agreed to fight from two seats.&nbsp;

''Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats, very happy to inform you that he will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala,'' Antony was quoted as saying.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
AK Antony,Congress: Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats, very happy to inform you that he will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rt7IDNxr0D">pic.twitter.com/Rt7IDNxr0D</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1112227066186006528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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When asked whether Rahul Gandhi was not confident in Amethi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala retorted: ''Why did Modi ji leave Gujarat and contest from Varanasi? Was he not confident in Gujarat? These are immature and childish comments, he said and added ''She (Smriti Irani) will complete a hat-trick of losses''.

Earlier, Kerala Congress had requested Rahul to contest from&nbsp;Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Putting an end to speculation, Congress on Sunday said that the party president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad in Kerala along with family bastion Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Putting an end to speculation, Congress on Sunday said that the party president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad in Kerala along with family bastion Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader AK Antony made the announcement in a press conference at the party headquarters on Sunday and said Gandhi has agreed to fight from two seats. ''Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats, very happy to inform you that he will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala,'' Antony was quoted as saying. AK Antony,Congress: Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats, very happy to inform you that he will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/Rt7IDNxr0D — ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2019 × When asked whether Rahul Gandhi was not confident in Amethi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala retorted: ''Why did Modi ji leave Gujarat and contest from Varanasi? Was he not confident in Gujarat? These are immature and childish comments, he said and added ''She (Smriti Irani) will complete a hat-trick of losses''. Earlier, Kerala Congress had requested Rahul to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad in Kerala in addition to Amethi  

Suspense reigns over Congress and Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) &nbsp;alliance in the national capital, as Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Sunday further fueled speculations, saying her party will soon make an official announcement in this regard.

"In some time the things will be clear. You will get to know about it in a matter of a few hours, by this evening or by tomorrow. There will be an official announcement,"&nbsp;she said while replying to question about the alliance.

On being asked about the declaration of the name of candidates, she said, "The party (Congress) has been working on it. Today is a holiday, they will make announcements sometime tomorrow."

According to party sources, Congress is ready for both the situation of forging an alliance or going alone and has begun the process of finalising&nbsp;the candidates for all seven parliamentary constituencies of Delhi.

On Saturday night between 10 to 12 PM, a meeting was held at Sheila Dikshit’s residence regarding the alliance in which Delhi in-charge PC Chacko and&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;general secretary KC Venugopal also participated, sources said.

Earlier on March 26, amid the possibility of an alliance between&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;and AAP, Chief Minister&nbsp;Arvind Kejriwal&nbsp;had hit out at former CM&nbsp;Sheila Dikshit-led&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;government and said he would not have had to launch a new party if she had run the government well.

AAP has already announced its candidates for seven parliamentary seats in Delhi.

Suspense reigns over Congress and Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) alliance in the national capital, as Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Sunday further fueled speculations, saying her party will soon make an official announcement in this regard.

Suspense reigns over Congress and Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) alliance in the national capital, as Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Sunday further fueled speculations, saying her party will soon make an official announcement in this regard. "In some time the things will be clear. You will get to know about it in a matter of a few hours, by this evening or by tomorrow. There will be an official announcement," she said while replying to question about the alliance. On being asked about the declaration of the name of candidates, she said, "The party (Congress) has been working on it. Today is a holiday, they will make announcements sometime tomorrow." According to party sources, Congress is ready for both the situation of forging an alliance or going alone and has begun the process of finalising the candidates for all seven parliamentary constituencies of Delhi. On Saturday night between 10 to 12 PM, a meeting was held at Sheila Dikshit’s residence regarding the alliance in which Delhi in-charge PC Chacko and organisation general secretary KC Venugopal also participated, sources said. Earlier on March 26, amid the possibility of an alliance between Congress and AAP, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had hit out at former CM Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government and said he would not have had to launch a new party if she had run the government well. AAP has already announced its candidates for seven parliamentary seats in Delhi.

Party to soon clear the air on Congress-AAP alliance: Sheila Dikshit

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions.

The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission.

The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi.

When the Congress was in power, "the anarchy and arrogance of the feudal family" was at its peak in "criminal misuse" of constitutional institutions and now in the Opposition, they are "threatening and defaming" these constitutional institutions, he alleged.

For the past five years, the Congress has tried to threaten and defame various constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission and now the NITI Aayog, he told reporters.

The "shehzada and shehzadi, when out power, are behaving like a fish out of water", he claimed.

"They think that power is their birthright, but the people of the country will teach them a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said.&nbsp;

The Planning Commission, set up in 1950 under the Congress government, was replaced by the Niti Aayog by the Modi dispensation. The Congress is seeking to revert to the original structure of the government think tank.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions.

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions. The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission. The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi. When the Congress was in power, "the anarchy and arrogance of the feudal family" was at its peak in "criminal misuse" of constitutional institutions and now in the Opposition, they are "threatening and defaming" these constitutional institutions, he alleged. For the past five years, the Congress has tried to threaten and defame various constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission and now the NITI Aayog, he told reporters. The "shehzada and shehzadi, when out power, are behaving like a fish out of water", he claimed. "They think that power is their birthright, but the people of the country will teach them a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections," Naqvi said. The Planning Commission, set up in 1950 under the Congress government, was replaced by the Niti Aayog by the Modi dispensation. The Congress is seeking to revert to the original structure of the government think tank.

Congress threatening constitutional institutions: Naqvi on Rahul's NITI Aayog remarks

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-contest-from-wayanad-in-kerala-besides-amethi-206891">Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad</a> in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections.

There was no need to attach any special importance to the Congress president contesting from the state and Gandhi was just one among the 20 candidates of the opposition UDF, who are trying their luck from Kerala, he said.

"If Gandhi's fight is against the BJP, he should have contested against the saffron party. In Kerala, the fight is between LDF and UDF in the elections," Vijayan told a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here.

He was reacting to the announcement by Congress that Gandhi would contest from the hilly Wayanad, considered a fortress of the party, in addition to the Gandhi family's pocket burrow Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh in the polls.

"The present move can only be seen as a fight against the Left. But, we have no anxiety...We are fully confident and will strive to defeat him in Wayanad," the CPI-M veteran said.

Gandhi had announced earlier he would retain Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as his constituency after elections, he said.

"So, it is like...Gandhi will continue as the MP from Amethi and in Wayand he is examining if he can defeat the Left", the Chief Minister said asking what message the Congress was conveying to the people through the move.

When asked about the proposed post-poll alliance with the Congress at the national level, Vijayan said it was a matter to be thought off after the elections.

BJP state chief P S Sreedharan Pillai said the Congress decision to field Gandhi from Wayanad showed the "decay" in the grand old party.

"After realising that he will lose from Amethi, Gandhi has decided to contest from wayand", he told reporters here.

The BJP would give a "tough fight" to the Congress candidate, he said adding Gandhi's Wayanad contest was being viewed by the party as "acceptance of defeat".

The state Congress leaders were all in a jubilant mood over the AICC chief's decision.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the party'saim was to ensure Gandhi's victory with a massive margin.

"I challenge Pinarayi Vijayan, if he can defeat Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and we accept the challenge," he told reporters at Alapuzha.

It would be a "historical win" for Gandhi in Wayanad and there would be a "Rahul wave" in the entire state, he claimed.

"A prime ministerial candidate is contesting from Kerala for the first time and this will have an impact in the entire state," he said adding the UDF would win all 20 seats.

Party's state unit President Mulapally Ramachandran said the decision to field Gandhi from Wayand would be "a happy news for secular-democratic forces" in the state.

He also remembered how former Congress presidents Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had scripted impressive victories from South India.

Congress leader M I Shanavas, who died in November last year, had won Wayanad, known for its picturesque locales and spices, in the 2009 and 2014 elections.

The LDF has decided to field CPIs P P Suneer in the constituency this time while BJP-NDA yet to announce its candidate.&nbsp;

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections. There was no need to attach any special importance to the Congress president contesting from the state and Gandhi was just one among the 20 candidates of the opposition UDF, who are trying their luck from Kerala, he said. "If Gandhi's fight is against the BJP, he should have contested against the saffron party. In Kerala, the fight is between LDF and UDF in the elections," Vijayan told a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here. He was reacting to the announcement by Congress that Gandhi would contest from the hilly Wayanad, considered a fortress of the party, in addition to the Gandhi family's pocket burrow Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh in the polls. "The present move can only be seen as a fight against the Left. But, we have no anxiety...We are fully confident and will strive to defeat him in Wayanad," the CPI-M veteran said. Gandhi had announced earlier he would retain Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as his constituency after elections, he said. "So, it is like...Gandhi will continue as the MP from Amethi and in Wayand he is examining if he can defeat the Left", the Chief Minister said asking what message the Congress was conveying to the people through the move. When asked about the proposed post-poll alliance with the Congress at the national level, Vijayan said it was a matter to be thought off after the elections. BJP state chief P S Sreedharan Pillai said the Congress decision to field Gandhi from Wayanad showed the "decay" in the grand old party. "After realising that he will lose from Amethi, Gandhi has decided to contest from wayand", he told reporters here. The BJP would give a "tough fight" to the Congress candidate, he said adding Gandhi's Wayanad contest was being viewed by the party as "acceptance of defeat". The state Congress leaders were all in a jubilant mood over the AICC chief's decision. Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the party'saim was to ensure Gandhi's victory with a massive margin. "I challenge Pinarayi Vijayan, if he can defeat Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and we accept the challenge," he told reporters at Alapuzha. It would be a "historical win" for Gandhi in Wayanad and there would be a "Rahul wave" in the entire state, he claimed. "A prime ministerial candidate is contesting from Kerala for the first time and this will have an impact in the entire state," he said adding the UDF would win all 20 seats. Party's state unit President Mulapally Ramachandran said the decision to field Gandhi from Wayand would be "a happy news for secular-democratic forces" in the state. He also remembered how former Congress presidents Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had scripted impressive victories from South India. Congress leader M I Shanavas, who died in November last year, had won Wayanad, known for its picturesque locales and spices, in the 2009 and 2014 elections. The LDF has decided to field CPIs P P Suneer in the constituency this time while BJP-NDA yet to announce its candidate.

Rahul Gandhi fighting from Wayanad means he is fighting Left, not BJP: Kerala CM Pinari Vijayan

BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday ridiculed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, saying he has "fled" to Kerala fearing that Amethi voters will seek an account of work done by him and his party over the years.

Shah was speaking at his first election meeting in western UP, where voting will be held on April 11. The saffron party had won all eight Lok Sabha seats in the region in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"Rahul Gandhi has fled to Kerala as he fears that Amethi voters will seek an account from him," the BJP chief said.

Shah also said, "The Congress had given a clean chit to Pakistan terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in Samjhauta Express bomb blast case, sent Swami Aseemanand and other innocent persons to jail and had put a tag of terrorism on Hindus."

BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday ridiculed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, saying he has "fled" to Kerala fearing that Amethi voters will seek an account of work done by him and his party over the years.

BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday ridiculed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, saying he has "fled" to Kerala fearing that Amethi voters will seek an account of work done by him and his party over the years. Shah was speaking at his first election meeting in western UP, where voting will be held on April 11. The saffron party had won all eight Lok Sabha seats in the region in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "Rahul Gandhi has fled to Kerala as he fears that Amethi voters will seek an account from him," the BJP chief said. Shah also said, "The Congress had given a clean chit to Pakistan terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in Samjhauta Express bomb blast case, sent Swami Aseemanand and other innocent persons to jail and had put a tag of terrorism on Hindus."

Rahul Gandhi fled to Kerala as he fears Amethi will seek account of work: Amit Shah

Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad in Kerala along with Amethi

In a one-to-one conversation with students in Ayodhya, Congress general <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-priyanka-fight-elections-from-varanasi-206337">secretary Priyanka Gandhi </a>revealed a lot about her personal life which continues to be hidden from the media and public.&nbsp;

The convention allowed students to ask random question to Priyanka. On being asked whether she knows how to cook, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-renews-agrarian-pitch-for-congress-in-lok-sabha-elections-206080">Priyanka replied </a>that she is a good cook and that she has been cooking from the age of 15. She told the students that she had&nbsp;learned Italian cooking from her grandmother and that she is good at cooking both Indian and Thai food.

Priyanka also answered questions on gender and reforms. She said: "I often tell my daughter to dress properly keeping in mind the law and order of the city, my daughter often shoots back says that tell me what to wear.”&nbsp;

She said that what makes her happy was that her daughter’s response accrues from feminist values she has inculcated in her. Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the issue of Romeo squads which have become a tool to harass young couples in the state.&nbsp;

She said, "I’m totally against Romeo squads and it cannot be allowed.” Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the failed experiment of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to introduce internal elections in the frontal organization.&nbsp;

“Rahul’s idea was transformative. The intention was to open doors to young people who come from different backgrounds, but many people opposed this transformative process and did not allow the new process to function. They were afraid of change,” said Priyanka.&nbsp;

This is the first time Priyanka Gandhi has spoken on the issue of internal elections in the frontal organisations of the Congress. The fact that she accepted a section of leadership derailed the process&nbsp;shows that she was on the same page as&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi on the&nbsp;idea.

Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the issue of Congress manifesto and said that people do not take manifestos very seriously whereas it is the most important document of the electoral process.&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi also attacked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for his comment on NYAY and its financial viability.&nbsp;

She said, "Nitin Gadkari should answer as to where the government got the money to wave off debt of the business community. She was equally aggressive on the question of equating Gandhi’s with royalty.&nbsp;

She retorted saying that it was her family which did away with Privy Purse in 1970s. Privy Purse was money provided to states till 1971 for maintenance of their respective estates. It was part of the amalgamation process after India gained independence. Indira Gandhi had abolished the purse as the money was being paid from the Indian exchequer.&nbsp;

The Congress general secretary from eastern Uttar Pradesh attacked Prime Minister Modi's statement that Pakistan will celebrate if Congress wins. She said, "Biryani khane to PM gaye the."(PM had gone to eat&nbsp;biryani in Pakistan).&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi’s tour concluded on Friday evening with a visit to Hanumangarhi.

In a one-to-one conversation with students in Ayodhya, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi revealed a lot about her personal life which continues to be hidden from the media and public.

In a one-to-one conversation with students in Ayodhya, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi revealed a lot about her personal life which continues to be hidden from the media and public. The convention allowed students to ask random question to Priyanka. On being asked whether she knows how to cook, Priyanka replied that she is a good cook and that she has been cooking from the age of 15. She told the students that she had learned Italian cooking from her grandmother and that she is good at cooking both Indian and Thai food. Priyanka also answered questions on gender and reforms. She said: "I often tell my daughter to dress properly keeping in mind the law and order of the city, my daughter often shoots back says that tell me what to wear.” She said that what makes her happy was that her daughter’s response accrues from feminist values she has inculcated in her. Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the issue of Romeo squads which have become a tool to harass young couples in the state. She said, "I’m totally against Romeo squads and it cannot be allowed.” Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the failed experiment of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to introduce internal elections in the frontal organization. “Rahul’s idea was transformative. The intention was to open doors to young people who come from different backgrounds, but many people opposed this transformative process and did not allow the new process to function. They were afraid of change,” said Priyanka. This is the first time Priyanka Gandhi has spoken on the issue of internal elections in the frontal organisations of the Congress. The fact that she accepted a section of leadership derailed the process shows that she was on the same page as Rahul Gandhi on the idea. Priyanka Gandhi also spoke on the issue of Congress manifesto and said that people do not take manifestos very seriously whereas it is the most important document of the electoral process. Priyanka Gandhi also attacked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for his comment on NYAY and its financial viability. She said, "Nitin Gadkari should answer as to where the government got the money to wave off debt of the business community. She was equally aggressive on the question of equating Gandhi’s with royalty. She retorted saying that it was her family which did away with Privy Purse in 1970s. Privy Purse was money provided to states till 1971 for maintenance of their respective estates. It was part of the amalgamation process after India gained independence. Indira Gandhi had abolished the purse as the money was being paid from the Indian exchequer. The Congress general secretary from eastern Uttar Pradesh attacked Prime Minister Modi's statement that Pakistan will celebrate if Congress wins. She said, "Biryani khane to PM gaye the."(PM had gone to eat biryani in Pakistan). Priyanka Gandhi’s tour concluded on Friday evening with a visit to Hanumangarhi.

Rahul's idea to hold internal elections in frontal organisation was opposed from within: Priyanka

Rahul Gandhi's sop of direct money transfer to 50 million poor families in the country as an electoral promise should rattle every right thinking and discerning Indian citizen.

One is seeing with a deep sense of concern, how a particular breed of politicians, represented by the Congress bandwagon led by Rahul Gandhi, is rapidly following theism of neopatrimonialism and doing everything to usurp and stay riveted to the seats of power.

There is a background to the Congress politics revolving around neopatrimonialism. The Hugo Chavez model of politics (the world is aghast by what's happening in Venezuela today) was followed to a great extent by the previous Manmohan Singh led UPÀ government at the Centre, presided over by the Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi and her band of loyalists.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez had crafted the Bolivian Missions focusing on social sectors and his populist policy included "redistribution of wealth". It is now clearly documented that in the early 2000s, when oil production brought rich dividends to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela due to soaring oil prices, the Chavez Government went on a spending spree on social programmes without caring a hoot for future eventualities. The upside of Chavez's Bolivian model was a big drop in inflation and unemployment and the downside, especially linked to the oil price collapse and the US sanctions is the economic turmoil that has gripped Venezuela, especially during the disputed second term of Nicolás Maduro, who succeeded Chavez in March 2013.

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, went a step ahead and put itself on the pedestal and all along pretended as if they were the only ones to shape the destiny of Indian people through newly created Acts passed by&nbsp;Indian Parliament to guarantee jobs, food, and education. While doing this they also aped the cash transfer policy that was being followed in Brazil and Mexico without bothering even an iota about its pitfall and the impact it would leave on the middle-class wage earners and the economic growth of the country.

It will be interesting to recall how on the eve of the 2014 Parliamentary election, UPA-II led by Manmohan Singh had launched the ambitious scheme of "direct cash transfer" of subsidy to bank accounts of beneficiaries with the then finance minister P Chidambaram describing the move as a "game changer".

During the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi has announced that the poorest families in India will receive Rs. 72,000 per year. “We will wipe out poverty by guaranteeing a minimum income to Rs 5 crore to 20 per cent of the poorest families," he said.

The Congress functionaries are describing this as a historic decision. Addressing media persons at the Madhya Pradesh Congress headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday, the chief spokesperson of the party for Madhya Pradesh, Shobha Oza, lashed out at the BJP leaders criticising Rahul Gandhi’s decision and dubbed their party as anti-poor.&nbsp;

She was emphatic in pointing out that some front ranking economists have studied the intricacies involved, vetted and validated Rahul Gandhi’s decision for direct cash transfer to the poor. One of her co-spokesperson even came on the sidelines and said that former Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan and a few other top economists would soon be speaking in support of this policy. &nbsp;

The input by the Congress spokesperson that in next few days some renowned economists are going to openly support the Congress party’s “direct cash transfer” plan to "wipe out poverty" would mean that these economists would be supporting a move that would eat into the vitals of economic growth in India. &nbsp;

It is a move that has nothing to do with channelising resources for building a robust economic infrastructure, improving education and skill development, creating jobs and adding to the purchasing power of the people through multifarious economic activities and thereby improving their quality of life. If the Congress move brings in votes and power, it will benefit immensely the wheeler-dealers and agents in the corridors of power who are not used to living in the wilderness. Let's not talk of crony capitalists. One has seen them flourish everywhere under Congress rule. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi's sop of direct money transfer to 50 million poor families in the country as an electoral promise should rattle every right thinking and discerning Indian citizen.

Rahul Gandhi's sop of direct money transfer to 50 million poor families in the country as an electoral promise should rattle every right thinking and discerning Indian citizen. One is seeing with a deep sense of concern, how a particular breed of politicians, represented by the Congress bandwagon led by Rahul Gandhi, is rapidly following theism of neopatrimonialism and doing everything to usurp and stay riveted to the seats of power. There is a background to the Congress politics revolving around neopatrimonialism. The Hugo Chavez model of politics (the world is aghast by what's happening in Venezuela today) was followed to a great extent by the previous Manmohan Singh led UPÀ government at the Centre, presided over by the Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi and her band of loyalists. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez had crafted the Bolivian Missions focusing on social sectors and his populist policy included "redistribution of wealth". It is now clearly documented that in the early 2000s, when oil production brought rich dividends to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela due to soaring oil prices, the Chavez Government went on a spending spree on social programmes without caring a hoot for future eventualities. The upside of Chavez's Bolivian model was a big drop in inflation and unemployment and the downside, especially linked to the oil price collapse and the US sanctions is the economic turmoil that has gripped Venezuela, especially during the disputed second term of Nicolás Maduro, who succeeded Chavez in March 2013. The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, went a step ahead and put itself on the pedestal and all along pretended as if they were the only ones to shape the destiny of Indian people through newly created Acts passed by Indian Parliament to guarantee jobs, food, and education. While doing this they also aped the cash transfer policy that was being followed in Brazil and Mexico without bothering even an iota about its pitfall and the impact it would leave on the middle-class wage earners and the economic growth of the country. It will be interesting to recall how on the eve of the 2014 Parliamentary election, UPA-II led by Manmohan Singh had launched the ambitious scheme of "direct cash transfer" of subsidy to bank accounts of beneficiaries with the then finance minister P Chidambaram describing the move as a "game changer". During the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi has announced that the poorest families in India will receive Rs. 72,000 per year. “We will wipe out poverty by guaranteeing a minimum income to Rs 5 crore to 20 per cent of the poorest families," he said. The Congress functionaries are describing this as a historic decision. Addressing media persons at the Madhya Pradesh Congress headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday, the chief spokesperson of the party for Madhya Pradesh, Shobha Oza, lashed out at the BJP leaders criticising Rahul Gandhi’s decision and dubbed their party as anti-poor. She was emphatic in pointing out that some front ranking economists have studied the intricacies involved, vetted and validated Rahul Gandhi’s decision for direct cash transfer to the poor. One of her co-spokesperson even came on the sidelines and said that former Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan and a few other top economists would soon be speaking in support of this policy. The input by the Congress spokesperson that in next few days some renowned economists are going to openly support the Congress party’s “direct cash transfer” plan to "wipe out poverty" would mean that these economists would be supporting a move that would eat into the vitals of economic growth in India. It is a move that has nothing to do with channelising resources for building a robust economic infrastructure, improving education and skill development, creating jobs and adding to the purchasing power of the people through multifarious economic activities and thereby improving their quality of life. If the Congress move brings in votes and power, it will benefit immensely the wheeler-dealers and agents in the corridors of power who are not used to living in the wilderness. Let's not talk of crony capitalists. One has seen them flourish everywhere under Congress rule. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

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