<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his first address to the&nbsp;party&#39;s plenary session on Saturday said that the&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;will&nbsp;work&nbsp;for all.</p>

<p>He said, &quot;The nation is tired and looking for a way out, only Congress can show the way ahead&quot;.</p>

<p>The major focus of his address today was&nbsp;targetting&nbsp;the Modi government. He said that the youth of the country does not see&nbsp;their future with PM Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said, &quot;This is the only symbol (Congress party symbol) that can unite the nation and take it forward&quot;.</p>

<p>Referring to the BJP led NDA government, the Congress president said&nbsp;that while &quot;Congress uses love, they use&nbsp;anger&quot;.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;open session started today in the presence of AICC and PCC delegates and workers.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi &amp; Manmohan Singh at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Indira Gandhi Stadium for Congress&#39; plenary session. <a href="https://t.co/0QtEdWENym">pic.twitter.com/0QtEdWENym</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/974875390551429121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The session organised will focus on party workers than its leaders.The Congress workers will get a chance to speak in the session and&nbsp;will also be motivated to win public support for the 2019 elections.</p>

<p>The Congress party will unveil its political roadmap and vision for the next five years at the session.</p>

<p>The plenary&nbsp;session was organised at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Rahul Gandhi said, 'The nation is tired and looking for a way out, only Congress can show the way ahead'

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his first address to the party's plenary session on Saturday said that the Congress will work for all. He said, "The nation is tired and looking for a way out, only Congress can show the way ahead". The major focus of his address today was targetting the Modi government. He said that the youth of the country does not see their future with PM Modi. He said, "This is the only symbol (Congress party symbol) that can unite the nation and take it forward". Referring to the BJP led NDA government, the Congress president said that while "Congress uses love, they use anger". The open session started today in the presence of AICC and PCC delegates and workers. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi & Manmohan Singh at #Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium for Congress' plenary session. pic.twitter.com/0QtEdWENym — ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2018 × The session organised will focus on party workers than its leaders.The Congress workers will get a chance to speak in the session and will also be motivated to win public support for the 2019 elections. The Congress party will unveil its political roadmap and vision for the next five years at the session. The plenary session was organised at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi.

Youth does not see future with PM Modi: Rahul Gandhi at Plenary session

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s official Twitter account has been renamed as @RahulGandhi from @OfficeOfRG</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For those of you who missed it, my Twitter handle has changed from 9 am this morning to <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a><br />
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The @OfficeOfRG account has been discontinued.<br />
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I look forward to your feedback and comments and to continuing my dialogue with you via Twitter and other platforms.</p>
&mdash; Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/974891121024397312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, opposition and others had been making various claims&nbsp;regarding the functioning of Gandhi&#39;s twitter handle.</p>

<p>In one such claim of account reportedly being handled by a&nbsp;team of social media experts, Gandhi had responded through a tweet in October.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His&nbsp;tweet read &quot;People&nbsp;been asking who tweets for this guy..I&#39;m coming clean..it&#39;s me..Pidi..I&#39;m way ???? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat!&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I&#39;m coming clean..it&#39;s me..Pidi..I&#39;m way ???? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! <a href="https://t.co/fkQwye94a5">pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5</a></p>
&mdash; Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/924531438661148673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Congress President Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account has been renamed as @RahulGandhi from @OfficeOfRG

Congress President Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account has been renamed as @RahulGandhi from @OfficeOfRG For those of you who missed it, my Twitter handle has changed from 9 am this morning to @RahulGandhi The @OfficeOfRG account has been discontinued. I look forward to your feedback and comments and to continuing my dialogue with you via Twitter and other platforms. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 17, 2018 × Earlier, opposition and others had been making various claims regarding the functioning of Gandhi's twitter handle. In one such claim of account reportedly being handled by a team of social media experts, Gandhi had responded through a tweet in October. His tweet read "People been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way ???? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat!" Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way ???? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 29, 2017 ×

Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account renamed as @RahulGandhi

<p>Congress Plenary was inaugurated in a new avatar on Saturday which started with the Twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi changing to Rahul Gandhi from office of Rahul Gandhi; lending a missing touch to his twitter handle.</p>

<p>The Session also showcased much reconciled Congress President who at the beginning of the Session acknowledged the role which seniors will have to play in rebuilding the party. Though he has been stressing the importance of coordination between junior and senior leaders after 2014 Lok Sabha election, its importance was not lost on anyone when he said that seniors are very much required by the Congress Party.</p>

<p>Perhaps for this reason, Former Speaker of Lok Sabha, senior Dalit leader and daughter of late Dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram was first to speak after Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s attack on BJP remained brief perhaps reserving the ammunition for the last day. Though he did build the binary between politics of divisiveness and politics of love, differentiating BJP from the Congress, he did not get into the detail. But what caught the eye was that unlike previous AICC Session, Congress leadership was not accommodated on the dais. Congress decided to keep the dais empty to give the message that this plenary is less about leaders and more about workers. The idea looked fresh and did away with the images of dais associated with the old Congress which today&rsquo;s generation found very feudal.</p>

<p>Unlike previous sessions, AICC session this year also decided to have TV panel discussion format on pre-chosen themes rather than long monologues of leaders and workers which bored everyone to death in the past. For this reason, for the first day, subjects like media, communication and common heritage were picked up.</p>

<p>Sources in the Congress say that the new format was chosen to give fresh life to Sessions which used to be long and tiring. Though the Session is all about the assertion of Rahul Gandhi as a leader of United Congress, the purpose was also to connect the younger audience with freedom movement and Congress. It is for this reason, the Plenary started with a black and white video of Mahatma Gandhi leading the freedom struggle.</p>


Congress Plenary was inaugurated in a new avatar on Saturday which started with the Twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi changing to Rahul Gandhi from office of Rahul Gandhi; lending a missing touch to his twitter handle

Congress Plenary was inaugurated in a new avatar on Saturday which started with the Twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi changing to Rahul Gandhi from office of Rahul Gandhi; lending a missing touch to his twitter handle. The Session also showcased much reconciled Congress President who at the beginning of the Session acknowledged the role which seniors will have to play in rebuilding the party. Though he has been stressing the importance of coordination between junior and senior leaders after 2014 Lok Sabha election, its importance was not lost on anyone when he said that seniors are very much required by the Congress Party. Perhaps for this reason, Former Speaker of Lok Sabha, senior Dalit leader and daughter of late Dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram was first to speak after Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s attack on BJP remained brief perhaps reserving the ammunition for the last day. Though he did build the binary between politics of divisiveness and politics of love, differentiating BJP from the Congress, he did not get into the detail. But what caught the eye was that unlike previous AICC Session, Congress leadership was not accommodated on the dais. Congress decided to keep the dais empty to give the message that this plenary is less about leaders and more about workers. The idea looked fresh and did away with the images of dais associated with the old Congress which today’s generation found very feudal. Unlike previous sessions, AICC session this year also decided to have TV panel discussion format on pre-chosen themes rather than long monologues of leaders and workers which bored everyone to death in the past. For this reason, for the first day, subjects like media, communication and common heritage were picked up. Sources in the Congress say that the new format was chosen to give fresh life to Sessions which used to be long and tiring. Though the Session is all about the assertion of Rahul Gandhi as a leader of United Congress, the purpose was also to connect the younger audience with freedom movement and Congress. It is for this reason, the Plenary started with a black and white video of Mahatma Gandhi leading the freedom struggle.

AICC Session goes for a drastic change

<p><br />
Lambasting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over poor policies, corruption and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday looked all charged up at the 84th Congress plenary session, being held here.</p>

<p>After finishing the speech, as Sonia was walking towards her seat, Congress president and her son Rahul Gandhi got up from his chair and gave her a warm hug.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Sonia Gandhi hugs Rahul Gandhi after after completing her speech at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenarySession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenarySession</a> <a href="https://t.co/66NhMrsf4e">pic.twitter.com/66NhMrsf4e</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/974947509457088513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The soft and loving moment was captured well by the cameras, as the attendees cheered on.</p>

<p>Earlier, Sonia said the ruling dispensation was undoing the work of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.</p>

<p>&quot;The Modi government is not interested in addressing the needs of the poor. They are just ignoring and weakening the welfare programmes that we implemented it when we were in power,&quot; Sonia said during the session, which began yesterday.</p>

<p>&quot;In the last four years, this arrogant (Modi) government has left no stone unturned to destroy Congress. But Congress has never cowered down and it will never cower down,&quot; she asserted.</p>

<p>The former Congress president continued her tirade against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government claiming that her party was &quot;exposing fraud and corruption&quot; by the Modi government using proof.</p>

<p>Commenting on the rise of communal violence and lawlessness in the country under the BJP government, Sonia added, &quot;Wherever there is a non-Congress government, our friends are taking a stand against anarchy and violence in different places. They are continuing with their work and braving all of it. It is the Congress party which takes stand against injustice and raises its voice against it (violence).&quot;</p>

<p>Vowing to make India free from political vendetta and corruption, Sonia underscored that it was important for all to address the challenges and called for efforts to fulfill a &#39;corruption-free India&#39; under the leadership of her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi respectively.</p>

<p>She also took a jibe at the BJP-led government&#39;s slogans of &#39;Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas&#39; and &#39;Na khaaoonga na khaane doona&#39;, saying that it was nothing but &quot;drama and tactic&quot; by the prime minister to garner votes.</p>

<p>Sonia went on to say that during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&#39;s rule at the Centre for 10 years, India had achieved a very high economic growth.</p>

<p>Citing the example of late Indira Gandhi&#39;s stunning victory at Chikmagalur in Karnataka 40 years ago, the Congress veteran further said the party had to rediscover the &#39;magic&#39; of winning the next year&#39;s general elections, adding that the Congress party&#39;s victory would be equal to a victory for the country.</p>

<p>Sonia also praised Rahul for taking over as the Congress President at such a &#39;challenging time&#39; and underscored that under her son&#39;s leadership, the party would reach new heights.</p>

<p>The grand-old party at the plenary session will ratify Rahul&#39;s appointment as the Congress president and select members for the Congress Working Committee.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


After finishing the speech, as Sonia was walking towards her seat, Congress president and her son Rahul Gandhi got up from his chair and gave her a warm hug.

Lambasting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over poor policies, corruption and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday looked all charged up at the 84th Congress plenary session, being held here. After finishing the speech, as Sonia was walking towards her seat, Congress president and her son Rahul Gandhi got up from his chair and gave her a warm hug. Delhi: Sonia Gandhi hugs Rahul Gandhi after after completing her speech at #CongressPlenarySession pic.twitter.com/66NhMrsf4e — ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2018 × The soft and loving moment was captured well by the cameras, as the attendees cheered on. Earlier, Sonia said the ruling dispensation was undoing the work of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. "The Modi government is not interested in addressing the needs of the poor. They are just ignoring and weakening the welfare programmes that we implemented it when we were in power," Sonia said during the session, which began yesterday. "In the last four years, this arrogant (Modi) government has left no stone unturned to destroy Congress. But Congress has never cowered down and it will never cower down," she asserted. The former Congress president continued her tirade against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government claiming that her party was "exposing fraud and corruption" by the Modi government using proof. Commenting on the rise of communal violence and lawlessness in the country under the BJP government, Sonia added, "Wherever there is a non-Congress government, our friends are taking a stand against anarchy and violence in different places. They are continuing with their work and braving all of it. It is the Congress party which takes stand against injustice and raises its voice against it (violence)." Vowing to make India free from political vendetta and corruption, Sonia underscored that it was important for all to address the challenges and called for efforts to fulfill a 'corruption-free India' under the leadership of her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi respectively. She also took a jibe at the BJP-led government's slogans of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and 'Na khaaoonga na khaane doona', saying that it was nothing but "drama and tactic" by the prime minister to garner votes. Sonia went on to say that during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's rule at the Centre for 10 years, India had achieved a very high economic growth. Citing the example of late Indira Gandhi's stunning victory at Chikmagalur in Karnataka 40 years ago, the Congress veteran further said the party had to rediscover the 'magic' of winning the next year's general elections, adding that the Congress party's victory would be equal to a victory for the country. Sonia also praised Rahul for taking over as the Congress President at such a 'challenging time' and underscored that under her son's leadership, the party would reach new heights. The grand-old party at the plenary session will ratify Rahul's appointment as the Congress president and select members for the Congress Working Committee.

'Son-mom' moment captured at Congress plenary session

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.</p>

<p>The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone.</p>

<p>The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt.</p>

<p>The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.</p>


Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal. Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean. The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone. The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer. According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt. The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.

Rafale deal: Dassault called government's lie, says Rahul Gandhi

<p><br />
Continuing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President on&nbsp;Friday fired another salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Modi Ji, those were some fancy power point slides. A quick word of advice:<br />
<br />
You&#39;re right about Rising India. One small issue - it&rsquo;s rising against you. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/News18RisingIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#News18RisingIndia</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/974679122394755072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-dassault-called-governments-lie-says-rahul-gandhi-36071">Targeting Modi&#39;s </a>power point presentation at an event on Friday evening, Rahul Gandhi tweeted &#39;&#39;Modi Ji, those were some fancy powerpoint slides. A quick word of advice: You&#39;re right about Rising India. One small issue - it&rsquo;s rising against you.&#39;&#39;</p>

<p>Earlier in the day in a tweet, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP government at the Cetnre of using the CBI to target key opposition leaders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;The BJP Govt uses the CBI to target key opposition politicians to intimidate and harass them. Now, a news report reveals how the CBI was pressured to file a case against @laluprasadrjd, ignoring the advice of its own legal team. Who will Modi ji target next?&#39;&#39; tweeted Rahul Gandhi with the&nbsp;<a data-query-source="hashtag_click" data-scribe="element:hashtag" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VendettaPolitics?src=hash" rel="tag">#VendettaPolitics</a> .</p>

<p>Gandhi also earlier in the day targeted Modi government for paying Rs 1100 crore extra per Rafale jet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Citing Rafale manufacturer Dassault&#39;s 2016 annual report, Gandhi said that the Narendra Modi government is purchasing per Rafale jet at the rate of Rs. 1670 crore while the Congress-led Manmohan Singh (MMS) government had finalised the deal at the rate of Rs. 570 crore per Rafale jet.</p>

<p>Gandhi said that Rafael manufacturer Dassault has busted lie of Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) by releasing prices paid per Rafale plane in its 2016 annual report.</p>

<p>&quot;Dassault called RM&#39;s lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report: Qatar = 1319 Cr, MODI = 1670 Cr, MMS = 570 Cr. 1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket. Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money,&quot; Gandhi tweeted.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Gandhi also earlier in the day targeted Modi government for paying Rs 1100 crore extra per Rafale jet.

Continuing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President on Friday fired another salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi Ji, those were some fancy power point slides. A quick word of advice: You're right about Rising India. One small issue - it’s rising against you. #News18RisingIndia — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 16, 2018 × Targeting Modi's power point presentation at an event on Friday evening, Rahul Gandhi tweeted ''Modi Ji, those were some fancy powerpoint slides. A quick word of advice: You're right about Rising India. One small issue - it’s rising against you.'' Earlier in the day in a tweet, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP government at the Cetnre of using the CBI to target key opposition leaders. ''The BJP Govt uses the CBI to target key opposition politicians to intimidate and harass them. Now, a news report reveals how the CBI was pressured to file a case against @laluprasadrjd, ignoring the advice of its own legal team. Who will Modi ji target next?'' tweeted Rahul Gandhi with the #VendettaPolitics . Gandhi also earlier in the day targeted Modi government for paying Rs 1100 crore extra per Rafale jet. Citing Rafale manufacturer Dassault's 2016 annual report, Gandhi said that the Narendra Modi government is purchasing per Rafale jet at the rate of Rs. 1670 crore while the Congress-led Manmohan Singh (MMS) government had finalised the deal at the rate of Rs. 570 crore per Rafale jet. Gandhi said that Rafael manufacturer Dassault has busted lie of Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) by releasing prices paid per Rafale plane in its 2016 annual report. "Dassault called RM's lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report: Qatar = 1319 Cr, MODI = 1670 Cr, MMS = 570 Cr. 1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket. Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money," Gandhi tweeted.

You're right about 'rising India'. It's rising against you: Rahul mocks Modi

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar hours after the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Lok Sabha bypoll results were announced, shows that the Congress leadership is serious on forging a bigger alliance of opposition parties, the NCP said today.</p>

<p>In a major blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party was trounced in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the citadel of Yogi Adityanath&#39;s Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>&quot;Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him,&quot; NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.</p>

<p>&quot;Despite the Congress being the bigger party, Rahul Gandhi has started meeting leaders of other parties. This shows they (Congress) are serious on making a bigger alliance,&quot; Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, told PTI here.</p>

<p>The NCP leader said, &quot;Rahul Gandhi wants that Pawar saheb should bring in more people (parties) in the country under the UPA fold.&quot;</p>

<p>Adityanath, who termed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance as one of &quot;snake and mongoose&quot;, had said over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the BSP led to the defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats.</p>

<p>In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal retained Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly constituency, while the BJP held on to Bhabua.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had received some praise from Pawar last month, who said the Congress party chief was showing an inclination to &quot;learn and understand&quot; the issues facing the nation.</p>

<p>Asked if the Shiv Sena, the BJP&#39;s bickering alliance partner, will withdraw support to the Narendra Modi government, like the TDP did, Malik said, the &quot;Sena won&#39;t part ways with the BJP-led government.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;They (Sena) are just bargaining. They don&#39;t have the courage to go solo,&quot; the NCP leader said.</p>

<p>The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today ended its four-year-old alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA, eight days after two of its Union ministers resigned over the Centre&#39;s refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>


'Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him,' NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar hours after the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Lok Sabha bypoll results were announced, shows that the Congress leadership is serious on forging a bigger alliance of opposition parties, the NCP said today. In a major blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party was trounced in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the citadel of Yogi Adityanath's Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. "Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said. "Despite the Congress being the bigger party, Rahul Gandhi has started meeting leaders of other parties. This shows they (Congress) are serious on making a bigger alliance," Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, told PTI here. The NCP leader said, "Rahul Gandhi wants that Pawar saheb should bring in more people (parties) in the country under the UPA fold." Adityanath, who termed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance as one of "snake and mongoose", had said over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the BSP led to the defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats. In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal retained Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly constituency, while the BJP held on to Bhabua. Rahul Gandhi had received some praise from Pawar last month, who said the Congress party chief was showing an inclination to "learn and understand" the issues facing the nation. Asked if the Shiv Sena, the BJP's bickering alliance partner, will withdraw support to the Narendra Modi government, like the TDP did, Malik said, the "Sena won't part ways with the BJP-led government." "They (Sena) are just bargaining. They don't have the courage to go solo," the NCP leader said. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today ended its four-year-old alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA, eight days after two of its Union ministers resigned over the Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

Rahul meeting Pawar shows Congress serious about forming bigger alliance: NCP

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dassault called RM&#39;s lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report:<br />
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Qatar = 1319 Cr<br />
MODI = 1670 Cr<br />
MMS = 570 Cr<br />
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1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket.<br />
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Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money. <a href="https://t.co/fE5tj4IaeN">pic.twitter.com/fE5tj4IaeN</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/974611317960175616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul Gandhi&#39;s tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.</p>

<p>The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone.</p>

<p>The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at &pound;7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at &pound;7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt.</p>

<p>The Congress also stressed that the current government&#39;s purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.</p>


Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal. Dassault called RM's lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report: Qatar = 1319 Cr MODI = 1670 Cr MMS = 570 Cr 1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket. Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money. pic.twitter.com/fE5tj4IaeN — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 16, 2018 × Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean. The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone. The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer. According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt. The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.

<p>The upcoming Congress plenary session in Delhi will feature both continuity and discontinuity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi as Congress President has decided to dedicate the plenary to the party&#39;s workers but UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi may not officially address the session. This may then be the first Congress plenary session that Sonia Gandhi will refrain from addressing after joining politics. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Secondly, unlike PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari, Rahul Gandhi will not in go for an election to the CWC. Elections had in the past led to open warfare within the party when Rao and Kesari were at the helm of affairs. Rahul had earlier advocated and allowed elections to the Youth Congress, which too had led to infighting and adverse results.</p>

<p>Under Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s presidentship, Manmohan Singh will hold a meeting on March 16 of the party&#39;s Steering Committee at the Constitution Club.</p>

<p>Rahul has told his colleagues that the session should be about the party&#39;s workers and not about him becoming president of the Congress.</p>

<p>The Congress will pass five resolutions during the session. The political resolution will focus on the RSS but that said, the focus will be on Rahul.</p>

<p>There will also be a separate resolution on the farmers&#39; issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Priyanka is expected to come to the session too but like in the past, is expected keep to back-room preparations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul himself will speak on the last day of the session, March 18.</p>


Earler elections to the Congress Working Committee had led to open warfare within the Congress

The upcoming Congress plenary session in Delhi will feature both continuity and discontinuity. Rahul Gandhi as Congress President has decided to dedicate the plenary to the party's workers but UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi may not officially address the session. This may then be the first Congress plenary session that Sonia Gandhi will refrain from addressing after joining politics. Secondly, unlike PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari, Rahul Gandhi will not in go for an election to the CWC. Elections had in the past led to open warfare within the party when Rao and Kesari were at the helm of affairs. Rahul had earlier advocated and allowed elections to the Youth Congress, which too had led to infighting and adverse results. Under Rahul Gandhi’s presidentship, Manmohan Singh will hold a meeting on March 16 of the party's Steering Committee at the Constitution Club. Rahul has told his colleagues that the session should be about the party's workers and not about him becoming president of the Congress. The Congress will pass five resolutions during the session. The political resolution will focus on the RSS but that said, the focus will be on Rahul. There will also be a separate resolution on the farmers' issue. Priyanka is expected to come to the session too but like in the past, is expected keep to back-room preparations. Rahul himself will speak on the last day of the session, March 18.

Rahul Gandhi to not hold elections to CWC

<p>The Samajwadi Party&#39;s Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP&#39;s Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes</p>

<p>The BSP did not put up any candidates, so as to not split the anti-BJP vote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accepted the defeats, saying after the loss:&nbsp;&quot;We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidates.&quot; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Remember, UP CM Yogi Adityanath was elected MP from Gorakhpur five times before this. He had to vacate the Lok Sabha seat after becoming chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, the Phulpur seat was vacated by Keshav Prasad Maurya after he became deputy chief minister.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> UP CM Yogi Adityanath says &#39;Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge&#39; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPByPoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPByPoll</a> <a href="https://t.co/DtyHvLeJqH">pic.twitter.com/DtyHvLeJqH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/973899298382450689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Patel meanwhile thanked BSP chief Mayawati after his win:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Behenji ka bhi bahot aashirwad tha. Ek hi vichaardhara ke sabhi parties ek huyin aur humaari jeet huyi. Jeet ka shrey Akhilesh ji, Behenji Mayawati ji aur Phulpur ki janta ko deta hoon: Nagendra Singh Patel, Samajwadi Party&#39;s winning candidate. <a href="https://t.co/kqjqGSvmen">pic.twitter.com/kqjqGSvmen</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/973886924632051713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress meanwhile fared poorly in the polls, with its candidates from both Phulpur and Gorakhpur losing their deposits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That however did not stop Congress President Rahul Gandhi from proclaiming that the BJP losses showed that voters are angry with the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is clear from the bypoll results that voters are angry with BJP and they will vote for the non-BJP candidate who has strongest chance of winning. As far as Congress is concerned, we are committed towards rebuilding the party in UP, and it does not happen overnight,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>


'We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings,' UP CM Yogi Adityanath said after the defeat

The Samajwadi Party's Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second. In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP's Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes The BSP did not put up any candidates, so as to not split the anti-BJP vote. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accepted the defeats, saying after the loss: "We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidates." Remember, UP CM Yogi Adityanath was elected MP from Gorakhpur five times before this. He had to vacate the Lok Sabha seat after becoming chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, the Phulpur seat was vacated by Keshav Prasad Maurya after he became deputy chief minister. "Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge," he added. #WATCH UP CM Yogi Adityanath says 'Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge' #UPByPoll pic.twitter.com/DtyHvLeJqH — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 14, 2018 × Patel meanwhile thanked BSP chief Mayawati after his win: Behenji ka bhi bahot aashirwad tha. Ek hi vichaardhara ke sabhi parties ek huyin aur humaari jeet huyi. Jeet ka shrey Akhilesh ji, Behenji Mayawati ji aur Phulpur ki janta ko deta hoon: Nagendra Singh Patel, Samajwadi Party's winning candidate. pic.twitter.com/kqjqGSvmen — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 14, 2018 × The Congress meanwhile fared poorly in the polls, with its candidates from both Phulpur and Gorakhpur losing their deposits. That however did not stop Congress President Rahul Gandhi from proclaiming that the BJP losses showed that voters are angry with the BJP. "It is clear from the bypoll results that voters are angry with BJP and they will vote for the non-BJP candidate who has strongest chance of winning. As far as Congress is concerned, we are committed towards rebuilding the party in UP, and it does not happen overnight," he said.

Uttar Pradesh bypolls: UP shocker; SP wins both Yogi bastion of Gorakhpur and Phulpur seat

<p>Congress party president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is silent on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud to save her daughter, whose law firm, according to a media report, had a brief retainership with Mehul Choksi-owned Geetanjali Gems.</p>

<p>Gandhi tweeted, &quot;It&#39;s now revealed that our FM&#39;s silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers?&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&#39;s now revealed that our FM&#39;s silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModiRobsIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ModiRobsIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ">https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/973079089140690946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Celebrated jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused in the Rs. 12,600-crore PNB fraud, causing a slugfest in the political corridors of India.The mega-swindle started in 2011 and was detected in January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.</p>


It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, Gandhi tweeted

Congress party president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is silent on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud to save her daughter, whose law firm, according to a media report, had a brief retainership with Mehul Choksi-owned Geetanjali Gems. Gandhi tweeted, "It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers?" It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers? #ModiRobsIndia https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018 × Celebrated jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused in the Rs. 12,600-crore PNB fraud, causing a slugfest in the political corridors of India.The mega-swindle started in 2011 and was detected in January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

Rahul Gandhi accuses Arun Jaitley of being silent on PNB scam

<p>Congress party president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is silent on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud to save her daughter, whose law firm, according to a media report, had a brief retainership with Mehul Choksi-owned Geetanjali Gems.</p>

<p>Gandhi tweeted, "It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers?"</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModiRobsIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ModiRobsIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ">https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ</a></p>
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/973079089140690946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Celebrated jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused in the Rs. 12,600-crore PNB fraud, causing a slugfest in the political corridors of India.The mega-swindle started in 2011 and was detected in January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.</p>


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<p>President Donald Trump predicted &quot;tremendous success&quot; today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week.</p>

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<p>The CBI on Saturday brought Karti Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman, Karti&#39;s chartered accountant, face-to-face. Bhaskararaman, who handled all the business dealings and finance of Karti, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month. The agency had on Friday extended Karti&#39;s custody to make him confront his CA.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/me-my-sister-have-completely-forgiven-fathers-killers-rahul-gandhi-35349">Me</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/me-my-sister-have-completely-forgiven-fathers-killers-rahul-gandhi-35349">, my sister have &#39;completely forgiven&#39; father&#39;s killers: Rahul Gandhi</a></p>

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have &quot;completely forgiven&quot; his father Rajiv Gandhi&#39;s killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father&#39;s killers, said: &quot;We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven).&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">Uttar Pradesh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">bypoll</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-gorakhpur-phulpur-constituencies-to-go-for-polls-shortly-35344">: CM Yogi Adityanath casts vote as voting begins in Gorakhpur, Phulpur</a></p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on Sunday morning amid tight security. The elections were necessitated due to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacating their respective seats in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies after they were elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.</p>

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<p>Jeff Bezos is officially the richest person on the planet thanks to the success of Amazon -- but his bold vision extends to space and even time itself. With Amazon&#39;s share price up nearly 60 percent during the past year, the personal wealth of the company&#39;s 54-year-old founder has doubled to more than $110 billion.</p>


Trump optimistic about N Korea talks, says 'it'll work out' President Donald Trump predicted "tremendous success" today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week. INX media case: Karti Chidambaram, his CA brought face-to-face in Tihar Jail The CBI on Saturday brought Karti Chidambaram and S Bhaskararaman, Karti's chartered accountant, face-to-face. Bhaskararaman, who handled all the business dealings and finance of Karti, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month. The agency had on Friday extended Karti's custody to make him confront his CA. Me, my sister have 'completely forgiven' father's killers: Rahul Gandhi Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have "completely forgiven" his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father's killers, said: "We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven)." Uttar Pradesh bypoll: CM Yogi Adityanath casts vote as voting begins in Gorakhpur, Phulpur Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on Sunday morning amid tight security. The elections were necessitated due to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacating their respective seats in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies after they were elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Jeff Bezos rockets to richest person on the planet Jeff Bezos is officially the richest person on the planet thanks to the success of Amazon -- but his bold vision extends to space and even time itself. With Amazon's share price up nearly 60 percent during the past year, the personal wealth of the company's 54-year-old founder has doubled to more than $110 billion.

WION Morning News Brief, March 10, 2018

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have &quot;completely forgiven&quot; his father Rajiv Gandhi&#39;s killers.</p>

<p>During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father&#39;s killers, said: &quot;We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven).&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;There is a history that when one realises that when these events take place, it&#39;s collision of ideas, forces, confusion. That&#39;s where you get caught. I remember when I saw Mr Prabhakaran on TV lying dead, I got two feelings - one was why they are humiliating this man in this way.</p>

<p>&quot;And second was I felt really bad for him and for his kids and I did that because I understood deeply what it meant to be on the other side of that thing. So to me when I see violence regardless of who it is, I know that there is a human being behind that, there is a family behind that, a kid crying behind that. I have been through a lot of pain to get this and it is something I consider very valuable. I find it difficult to hate people, even my sister does,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber of LTTE, the terrorist group in Sri Lanka led by Prabhakaran, on May 21, 1991 at an election rally in Tamil Nadu.</p>

<p>Gandhi, who is on a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries, also said: &quot;We knew that my father was going to die. We knew that my grandmother was going to die. In politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die. That&#39;s pretty clear.&quot;</p>

<p>Asked if he thinks he had a privileged life being the son and grandson of former prime ministers, he said, &quot;It depends which side of the coin you are...Of course there are a number of privileges where I sit, but I would not say that I haven&#39;t been through a rough ride.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I was 14 when my grandmother was assassinated. I used to play badminton with those who killed my grandmother. After that my father was killed. So you live in a particular environment...Surrounded by 15 guys from morning noon and night, I don&#39;t think&nbsp;that&#39;s a privilege. I think that&#39;s quite a hard thing to deal with,&quot; he said in a video shared by the Congress party on its Twitter handle.</p>


Rahul said during his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have "completely forgiven" his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father's killers, said: "We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven)." "There is a history that when one realises that when these events take place, it's collision of ideas, forces, confusion. That's where you get caught. I remember when I saw Mr Prabhakaran on TV lying dead, I got two feelings - one was why they are humiliating this man in this way. "And second was I felt really bad for him and for his kids and I did that because I understood deeply what it meant to be on the other side of that thing. So to me when I see violence regardless of who it is, I know that there is a human being behind that, there is a family behind that, a kid crying behind that. I have been through a lot of pain to get this and it is something I consider very valuable. I find it difficult to hate people, even my sister does," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber of LTTE, the terrorist group in Sri Lanka led by Prabhakaran, on May 21, 1991 at an election rally in Tamil Nadu. Gandhi, who is on a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries, also said: "We knew that my father was going to die. We knew that my grandmother was going to die. In politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die. That's pretty clear." Asked if he thinks he had a privileged life being the son and grandson of former prime ministers, he said, "It depends which side of the coin you are...Of course there are a number of privileges where I sit, but I would not say that I haven't been through a rough ride." "I was 14 when my grandmother was assassinated. I used to play badminton with those who killed my grandmother. After that my father was killed. So you live in a particular environment...Surrounded by 15 guys from morning noon and night, I don't think that's a privilege. I think that's quite a hard thing to deal with," he said in a video shared by the Congress party on its Twitter handle.

Me, my sister have 'completely forgiven' father's killers: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written&nbsp;letters&nbsp;to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi seeking a law against the sealing drive in Delhi.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sealing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sealing</a> issue: CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArvindKejriwal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArvindKejriwal</a> writes to PM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NarendraModi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NarendraModi</a> and Congress President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a> asking for a law to be made on the issue, also seeks meeting time from the two leaders <a href="https://t.co/NM0DV7uvrE">pic.twitter.com/NM0DV7uvrE</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972323412713590784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the letter to the Prime Minister, Kejriwal has&nbsp;written&nbsp;that the sealing is being undertaken because of some irregularities in the law.</p>

<p>He wrote that the centre was supposed to tackle such irregularities, however, it did not mend these on time, and now the people have to face the consequence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kejriwal added that the sealing drive was affecting the people who pay taxes and contribute to the development of the country.</p>

<p>He said to secure the earning of thousands of such people&nbsp;the parliament needs to pass an urgent bill. He added that unemployment at such a high rate will also affect law and order.</p>

<p>He said in his letter that these shopkeepers&nbsp;are at the extreme end of reaching poverty, one shop in the area supports the life of several people.</p>

<p>The chief minister&nbsp;also requested for opening&nbsp;the shops that have already been shut down after sealing.</p>

<p>In his letter to the Congress President, the AAP chief said that the opposition should debate on&nbsp;the sealing drive issue in Parliament.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


He has also sought appointments to meet the two leaders

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi seeking a law against the sealing drive in Delhi. #Delhi #Sealing issue: CM #ArvindKejriwal writes to PM #NarendraModi and Congress President #RahulGandhi asking for a law to be made on the issue, also seeks meeting time from the two leaders pic.twitter.com/NM0DV7uvrE — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018 × In the letter to the Prime Minister, Kejriwal has written that the sealing is being undertaken because of some irregularities in the law. He wrote that the centre was supposed to tackle such irregularities, however, it did not mend these on time, and now the people have to face the consequence. Kejriwal added that the sealing drive was affecting the people who pay taxes and contribute to the development of the country. He said to secure the earning of thousands of such people the parliament needs to pass an urgent bill. He added that unemployment at such a high rate will also affect law and order. He said in his letter that these shopkeepers are at the extreme end of reaching poverty, one shop in the area supports the life of several people. The chief minister also requested for opening the shops that have already been shut down after sealing. In his letter to the Congress President, the AAP chief said that the opposition should debate on the sealing drive issue in Parliament.

Arvind Kejriwal writes letter to PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi seeking bill against ceiling drive

<p>Responding to a question in Malaysia&nbsp;on how the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-discusses-jobs-economy-in-singapore-35059" target="_blank">Congress </a>would have rolled out demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi said he would have thrown the proposal for demonetisation in a dustbin.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-discusses-jobs-economy-in-singapore-35059" target="_blank">Rahul Gandhi discusses jobs, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-discusses-jobs-economy-in-singapore-35059" target="_blank">economy</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-discusses-jobs-economy-in-singapore-35059" target="_blank"> in Singapore</a></p>

<p>He said that demonetisation was &quot;not a good&quot; initiative and if he were the prime minister he would have thrown the proposal in a dustbin.</p>

<p>Gandhi was speaking in Malaysia with an &quot;enthusiastic gathering&quot; of the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur.</p>

<p>Asked how he would have rolled out demonetisation differently, Gandhi said: &quot;if I was the Prime Minister and somebody would have given me a file with demonetisation written on it, I would thrown it in the dustbin, out of the door and into the junkyard.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;That is how I would have rolled it out because that is what I think should have been done with the demonetisation which was not good at all,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Congress has been very critical of Demonetisation since its roll-out.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier at the University of California, Gandhi had called the move as &quot; reckless and dangerous&quot; decision taken by Prime Minister Modi.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi is on a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/singapore-author-questions-rahul-gandhi-on-family-rule-twitter-on-fire-35211" target="_blank">five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries</a>.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Responding to a question in Malaysia, on how the Congress would have rolled out demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi said he would have thrown the proposal for demonetisation in a dustbin

Responding to a question in Malaysia on how the Congress would have rolled out demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi said he would have thrown the proposal for demonetisation in a dustbin. Also read: Rahul Gandhi discusses jobs, economy in Singapore He said that demonetisation was "not a good" initiative and if he were the prime minister he would have thrown the proposal in a dustbin. Gandhi was speaking in Malaysia with an "enthusiastic gathering" of the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur. Asked how he would have rolled out demonetisation differently, Gandhi said: "if I was the Prime Minister and somebody would have given me a file with demonetisation written on it, I would thrown it in the dustbin, out of the door and into the junkyard." "That is how I would have rolled it out because that is what I think should have been done with the demonetisation which was not good at all," he said. Congress has been very critical of Demonetisation since its roll-out. Earlier at the University of California, Gandhi had called the move as " reckless and dangerous" decision taken by Prime Minister Modi. Rahul Gandhi is on a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries. (With inputs from PTI)

If I were PM, would have thrown demonetisation proposal in dustbin: Rahul Gandhi

<p>An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India. Singapore-based author Prasenjit K Basu asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi about India&#39;s poor growth rate during Congress rule at a discussion during &#39;India At 70&#39; event at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.</p>

<p>&quot;Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, India&#39;s per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, India&#39;s per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average,&quot; Basu asked Gandhi.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked RaGa: &ldquo;Why is is that, in all the years your family ruled, India&rsquo;s per capita income grew slower than the world average, but since your family relinquished the PMship India&rsquo;s per capita income has grown much faster than the world average?&rdquo; Answer still awaited! Jai Hind!</p>
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971729864293150720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress president questioned Basu&#39;s hypothesis, after which the author delved into history. Basu claimed Rahul Gandhi was stumped and repeatedly failed to answer his question.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here&rsquo;s the full video of my succinct question to RaGa, and his repeated failure to answer: <a href="https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH">https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH</a></p>
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971785915218649088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A video of same event was later uploaded by Congress on its Twitter handle, and the party claimed its president handled the situation maturely. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGinSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGinSingapore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaAt70?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaAt70</a> <a href="https://t.co/OnTJz0kzUx">pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx</a></p>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/971763292413640704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, this did not go well with Basu who threatened to sue Congress for what he claimed was a fake news video.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore&rsquo;s courts!</p>
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971793850892091392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanks for posting the full video of the interaction. <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> has posted a fake-news video, deleting RaGa&rsquo;s repeated failure to answer the question (instead mixing my question with the next sycophantic question). And clearly the party doesn&rsquo;t understand &ldquo;per capita income&rdquo;!</p>
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971785475143815168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The conversation divided twitterati.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My respect for <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrasenjitKBasu</a> just went up 3,000 notches.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGinSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGinSingapore</a> ???????????????? <a href="https://t.co/RRq1WqvPWk">pic.twitter.com/RRq1WqvPWk</a></p>
&mdash; Anuraag Saxena (@anuraag_saxena) <a href="https://twitter.com/anuraag_saxena/status/971748266361552896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGInSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGInSingapore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaAt70?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaAt70</a><a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrasenjitKBasu</a> to RaGa : y is is that, in all the yrs ur family ruled, India&rsquo;s per capita income grew slower thn d world average, bt since ur family relinquished the PMship India&rsquo;s per capita income has grown much faster thn d world average?&rdquo;<br />
<br />
RaGa: <a href="https://t.co/CQph0st3mb">pic.twitter.com/CQph0st3mb</a></p>
&mdash; Tejas Barot (@imTejasBarot) <a href="https://twitter.com/imTejasBarot/status/971970286735142914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Singapore became developed country in less than 15 years. While India continue to be developing from 60 years of INC rule</p>
&mdash; Saransh Srivastava (@saransh2334) <a href="https://twitter.com/saransh2334/status/971962258719875074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The fact that you are a well educated education man, speak-read-write in English, is all because of <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> &lsquo;s great grand father. That&rsquo;s the Nehru-Gandhi family&rsquo;s great legacy. Remove the Modi blinkers and then you can see what RG&rsquo;s family has contributed to India.</p>
&mdash; Sadhavi Khosla (@sadhavi) <a href="https://twitter.com/sadhavi/status/971955956543250438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India.

An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India. Singapore-based author Prasenjit K Basu asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi about India's poor growth rate during Congress rule at a discussion during 'India At 70' event at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, India's per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, India's per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average," Basu asked Gandhi. Asked RaGa: “Why is is that, in all the years your family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower than the world average, but since your family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster than the world average?” Answer still awaited! Jai Hind! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × The Congress president questioned Basu's hypothesis, after which the author delved into history. Basu claimed Rahul Gandhi was stumped and repeatedly failed to answer his question. Here’s the full video of my succinct question to RaGa, and his repeated failure to answer: https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × A video of same event was later uploaded by Congress on its Twitter handle, and the party claimed its president handled the situation maturely. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug. With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. #RGinSingapore #IndiaAt70 pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx — Congress (@INCIndia) March 8, 2018 × However, this did not go well with Basu who threatened to sue Congress for what he claimed was a fake news video. This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore’s courts! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × Thanks for posting the full video of the interaction. @INCIndia has posted a fake-news video, deleting RaGa’s repeated failure to answer the question (instead mixing my question with the next sycophantic question). And clearly the party doesn’t understand “per capita income”! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × The conversation divided twitterati. My respect for @PrasenjitKBasu just went up 3,000 notches.#RGinSingapore ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/RRq1WqvPWk — Anuraag Saxena (@anuraag_saxena) March 8, 2018 × . #RGInSingapore #IndiaAt70@PrasenjitKBasu to RaGa : y is is that, in all the yrs ur family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower thn d world average, bt since ur family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster thn d world average?” RaGa: pic.twitter.com/CQph0st3mb — Tejas Barot (@imTejasBarot) March 9, 2018 × Singapore became developed country in less than 15 years. While India continue to be developing from 60 years of INC rule — Saransh Srivastava (@saransh2334) March 9, 2018 × The fact that you are a well educated education man, speak-read-write in English, is all because of @OfficeOfRG ‘s great grand father. That’s the Nehru-Gandhi family’s great legacy. Remove the Modi blinkers and then you can see what RG’s family has contributed to India. — Sadhavi Khosla (@sadhavi) March 9, 2018 ×

Singapore author questions Rahul Gandhi on 'family rule', Twitter on fire

<p>Former president of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi said Friday that her party may sometime in the future have a leader from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family.</p>

<p>Replying to a question on whether there was any chance of the Congress being led by an outsider, she replied, &quot;Why not? In future, there may well be.&quot;</p>

<p>Sonia however did not answer when she was asked whether the party would survive without a Gandhi as its leader.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Referring to the prime ministership of Dr Manmohan Singh, she said she opted for him in 2004 over herserlf since he was a better candidate for the post.</p>

<p>She also dismissed the popular belief that under the UPA government, the real power was in her hands.</p>

<p>She said that she joined politics after she realised that Congress party was going through a difficult time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Referring&nbsp;to the Bush and the Clinton families, she also highlighted the political dynasties of the US.</p>


Replying to a question on whether there is any chance of a leader from outside the family heading the Congress, she replied 'Why not? In future , there may well be'

Former president of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi said Friday that her party may sometime in the future have a leader from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family. Replying to a question on whether there was any chance of the Congress being led by an outsider, she replied, "Why not? In future, there may well be." Sonia however did not answer when she was asked whether the party would survive without a Gandhi as its leader. Referring to the prime ministership of Dr Manmohan Singh, she said she opted for him in 2004 over herserlf since he was a better candidate for the post. She also dismissed the popular belief that under the UPA government, the real power was in her hands. She said that she joined politics after she realised that Congress party was going through a difficult time. Referring to the Bush and the Clinton families, she also highlighted the political dynasties of the US.

Why not? Sonia on possibility of Congress being ruled by outsider in future

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his visit to Singapore said that he felt like crying when he visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2014.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added that bad political decision (after 2014) have changed years of their policy-making</p>

<p>He said &quot;Our Kashmir policy under Dr. Manmohan Singh was about building bridges with people. When UPA came to power in 2004, we were handed a Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;that was burning. We made a plan and worked on it for nine years. In 2014 when I went to Jammu and Kashmir I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can to do years and years of policy-making&quot;.</p>

<p>He said &quot;You engage with people, you bring people in, you work with people, you trust people. It works. I have seen it for myself&quot;.</p>

<p>He also hit out at the BJP led government saying that &quot;India was facing serious dangers of polarising society&quot;.</p>

<p>Gandhi also said that he does not believe that Indians cannot&nbsp;challenge and compete with China in Manufacturing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don&#39;t buy the idea that India can&#39;t challenge &amp; compete with China in manufacturing: Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Singapore.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971699987427020800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>On his visit to Singapore, Gandhi discussed a range of issues including jobs, investments and the prevalent economic conditions with the Indian-origin CEOs of companies.</p>

<p>Gandhi is on a three-day foreign trip to meet the Indian diaspora from March 8 to 11.</p>

<p>He will also meet Malaysian PM Najib Razak.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Over the next three days, I look forward to meeting the Indian community, business leaders and members of the Indian Overseas Congress in Singapore and Malaysia.<br />
<br />
Also on my schedule are meetings with the Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong and the Malaysian PM, Najib Razak. <a href="https://t.co/CzCqaiZs5p">pic.twitter.com/CzCqaiZs5p</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/971648792725540865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his visit to Singapore said that he felt like crying when he visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. He added that bad political decision (after 2014) have changed years of their policy-making He said "Our Kashmir policy under Dr. Manmohan Singh was about building bridges with people. When UPA came to power in 2004, we were handed a Jammu and Kashmir that was burning. We made a plan and worked on it for nine years. In 2014 when I went to Jammu and Kashmir I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can to do years and years of policy-making". He said "You engage with people, you bring people in, you work with people, you trust people. It works. I have seen it for myself". He also hit out at the BJP led government saying that "India was facing serious dangers of polarising society". Gandhi also said that he does not believe that Indians cannot challenge and compete with China in Manufacturing. He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship. I don't buy the idea that India can't challenge & compete with China in manufacturing: Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Singapore. — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × On his visit to Singapore, Gandhi discussed a range of issues including jobs, investments and the prevalent economic conditions with the Indian-origin CEOs of companies. Gandhi is on a three-day foreign trip to meet the Indian diaspora from March 8 to 11. He will also meet Malaysian PM Najib Razak. Over the next three days, I look forward to meeting the Indian community, business leaders and members of the Indian Overseas Congress in Singapore and Malaysia. Also on my schedule are meetings with the Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong and the Malaysian PM, Najib Razak. pic.twitter.com/CzCqaiZs5p — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 8, 2018 ×

India can challenge & compete with China in manufacturing: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Indian-origin CEOs of various companies in Singapore and discussed issues such as jobs, investments, and the prevalent economic condition in India.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We are seeing the biggest migration of rural people in India. We have challenges. Broadly our view is we want a peaceful transition that carries everybody together,&quot; Congress twitter handle quoted Gandhi as saying.</p>

<p>The Congress President will also address Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore, another tweet said.</p>

<p>Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Indian-origin CEOs of various companies in Singapore and discussed issues such as jobs, investments, and the prevalent economic condition in India. × "We are seeing the biggest migration of rural people in India. We have challenges. Broadly our view is we want a peaceful transition that carries everybody together," Congress twitter handle quoted Gandhi as saying. The Congress President will also address Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore, another tweet said. Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10.

Rahul Gandhi discusses jobs, economy in Singapore

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being quiet on the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.</p>

<p>Rahul, who returned from Italy yesterday, took to his Twitter handle, saying &ldquo;ek Nirav Modi hai, dusra Modi nirav hai&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The case is related to the over Rs 13,600 crore PNB fraud by diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, owner of Gitanjali gems.</p>

<p>Congress MPs along with party president staged a protest against the PNB scam near Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party even raised the issue inside Parliament during the second half of Budget Session leading to repeated adjournments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon after members disrupted the House over the scam.</p>

<p>Rajay Sabha adjourned too was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the fraud.</p>

<p>The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier issued summons to the duo asking them to appear before the central agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Modi, his family, and Choksi left the country in early January, much before the CBI received a complaint from the PNB.</p>


Rahul took to Twitter to take a dig at PM Modi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being quiet on the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. Rahul, who returned from Italy yesterday, took to his Twitter handle, saying “ek Nirav Modi hai, dusra Modi nirav hai”. The case is related to the over Rs 13,600 crore PNB fraud by diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, owner of Gitanjali gems. Congress MPs along with party president staged a protest against the PNB scam near Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament today. The party even raised the issue inside Parliament during the second half of Budget Session leading to repeated adjournments. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon after members disrupted the House over the scam. Rajay Sabha adjourned too was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the fraud. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier issued summons to the duo asking them to appear before the central agency. However, Modi, his family, and Choksi left the country in early January, much before the CBI received a complaint from the PNB.

PNB scam: Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi's silence, says 'ek Nirav Modi Hai, dusra Modi nirav hai'

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Members of Parliament (MPs) from the party today staged a protest in Parliament over the Rs 12,636-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case.</p>

<p>The Congress president and the lawmakers staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament, ANI reported.</p>

<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready to hold discussions on the scam in both houses but that the Opposition should stop the ruckus it was creating inside and outside Parliament.</p>

<p>&quot;Government is ready to hold discussion on the questions opposition is raising about the bank in both the houses. Opposition is invited for a structural debate and to stop the ruckus they are creating inside and outside the Parliament,&quot; Ananth Kumar said.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi has previously criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning a blind eye to the scam.</p>

<p>At a rally in Karnataka last month, the Congress President asked why Narendra Modi, who had described himself as the country&#39;s &quot;chowkidar&quot; (watchman), was &quot;silent&quot; on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.</p>

<p>&quot;Nirav Modi has indulged in the theft of Rs 22,000 crore, he runs away from the country, but the chowkidar of this country does not even utter a word,&quot; he said.</p>


Rahul Gandhi has previously criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning a blind eye to the scam

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Members of Parliament (MPs) from the party today staged a protest in Parliament over the Rs 12,636-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. The Congress president and the lawmakers staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament, ANI reported. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready to hold discussions on the scam in both houses but that the Opposition should stop the ruckus it was creating inside and outside Parliament. "Government is ready to hold discussion on the questions opposition is raising about the bank in both the houses. Opposition is invited for a structural debate and to stop the ruckus they are creating inside and outside the Parliament," Ananth Kumar said. Rahul Gandhi has previously criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning a blind eye to the scam. At a rally in Karnataka last month, the Congress President asked why Narendra Modi, who had described himself as the country's "chowkidar" (watchman), was "silent" on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud. "Nirav Modi has indulged in the theft of Rs 22,000 crore, he runs away from the country, but the chowkidar of this country does not even utter a word," he said.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress MPs protest outside Parliament over PNB scam

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/conrad-sangma-to-take-oath-as-meghalaya-chief-minister-today-34798">BJP of grabbing power</a> in Meghalaya through proxy and &nbsp;&quot;showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people&quot;.</p>

<p>The Congress president wrote on Twitter:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With just 2 seats, the BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya, through a proxy.<br />
<br />
Like in Manipur &amp; Goa, showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people. Obsessed instead with grabbing power, using big money to create an opportunistic alliance.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DemocracyDemonetised?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DemocracyDemonetised</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/970641578715951104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress had emerged as the single largest party in the state assembly elections, winning 21 of the 59 seats that went to polls and 10 short of a simple majority. The figure is marginally ahead of its rival, the National Peoples<br />
Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur which won 19 seats.</p>

<p>The BJP retaliated to Rahul Gandhi&#39;s remarks by saying that the Congress president was &quot;desperate&quot; as his party&#39;s &quot;moneybags&quot; had failed to deliver a government in the state.</p>

<p>BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao wrote on Twitter that the BJP understood Rahul Gandhi&#39;s frustration.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We understand your frustration RahulG. Congress party&#39;s moneybags and the architects of infamous &quot;Cash for Votes&quot; scandal whom<br />
you despatched to Meghalaya have failed to deliver a govt to you in Meghalaya. In New India, &nbsp;Congress&#39;s old corrupt ways won&#39;t succeed. Think better!! <a href="https://t.co/jHdLWDt15E">https://t.co/jHdLWDt15E</a></p>
&mdash; GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GVLNRAO/status/970666934386663424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
&quot;We understand your desperation as you shrink in political space and face the prospect of being reduced to power only in Puducherry,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Congress party had on Saturday staked its claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the governor. A delegation of three senior leaders of the Congress -- Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and CP Joshi had met the governor.</p>

<p>However, the governor invited the National People&#39;s Party-led alliance to form the government in the state.</p>

<p>The alliance includes the BJP, United Democratic Party (UDP), the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party (HSPDP) , People&#39;s Democratic Front (PDF), and an independent.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The BJP retaliated by saying that the Congress president was 'desperate' as his party's 'moneybags' had failed to deliver a government in the state.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of grabbing power in Meghalaya through proxy and "showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people". The Congress president wrote on Twitter: With just 2 seats, the BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya, through a proxy. Like in Manipur & Goa, showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people. Obsessed instead with grabbing power, using big money to create an opportunistic alliance.#DemocracyDemonetised — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 5, 2018 × The Congress had emerged as the single largest party in the state assembly elections, winning 21 of the 59 seats that went to polls and 10 short of a simple majority. The figure is marginally ahead of its rival, the National Peoples Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur which won 19 seats. The BJP retaliated to Rahul Gandhi's remarks by saying that the Congress president was "desperate" as his party's "moneybags" had failed to deliver a government in the state. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao wrote on Twitter that the BJP understood Rahul Gandhi's frustration. We understand your frustration RahulG. Congress party's moneybags and the architects of infamous "Cash for Votes" scandal whom you despatched to Meghalaya have failed to deliver a govt to you in Meghalaya. In New India, Congress's old corrupt ways won't succeed. Think better!! https://t.co/jHdLWDt15E — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) March 5, 2018 × "We understand your desperation as you shrink in political space and face the prospect of being reduced to power only in Puducherry," he said. The Congress party had on Saturday staked its claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the governor. A delegation of three senior leaders of the Congress -- Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and CP Joshi had met the governor. However, the governor invited the National People's Party-led alliance to form the government in the state. The alliance includes the BJP, United Democratic Party (UDP), the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) , People's Democratic Front (PDF), and an independent.

BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya through proxy: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party&#39;s defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region.</p>

<p>Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress&#39;s poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.<br />
<br />
We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people.<br />
<br />
My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/970577646869536768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail.</p>

<p>The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.</p>


Rahul also appreciated the hard work of party workers

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party's defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region. Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress's poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people. The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 5, 2018 × Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government. Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state. Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail. The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul Gandhi accepts defeat in NE, says Congress respects people's mandate

<p>After a long wait and keeping people guessing, Rahul Gandhi became Congress president in December, ostensibly via an internal election process.</p>

<p>Congress was founded by A.O. Hume on 28th December 1985, so it has completed 132 years few days after the coronation of Rahul. Congress celebrated the day at their office at Akbar Road. As such it is a sort of farce that present day&rsquo;s Congress claims the legacy of the party which was founded in 1885; neither the people are same nor the ideology. Moreover, Indira Gandhi brought tectonic changes in the core ideology of the party for all times to come during the late seventies.</p>

<p>Now, come to the events during the first three days of March 2018. First, the Gandhi scion flew to Italy, supposedly to surprise his Nani (Grand Mother) on the Holi weekend. It was anybody&rsquo;s guess that he was out on a vacation under the garb of meeting his Nani.</p>

<p>While Rahul was vacationing, the poll results were out for three north-eastern states. The left had a serious drubbing in Tripura as they lost out its old bastion of Tripura to BJP but there was a serious setback to Congress overall. End of the day it&rsquo;s not CPI/CPM but it is Congress who is relevant in the discussions as Congress is the alternative at the national level and not Left Parties. Congress lost heavily in all three states. The major sign of worry for Congress is that they simply allowed BJP to take full advantage of anti-incumbency in Tripura.</p>

<p>It was another reality check for an old grand party, who has been gloating as such after success in Rajasthan by-polls.</p>

<p>The Ostrich Syndrome is pervasive in Congress and with little success, Rahul and his coterie of sycophants start telling themselves &ldquo;hey, we are recovering&rdquo; and then realty would bite them hard and they fall prey to the real challenge. It has been happening for years.</p>

<p>Two months back Rahul and company were telling the whole world that they almost defeated Modi in Gujarat. However, on the bit of analysis, it becomes clear that even in Gujarat, it has been a significant victory for Modi and BJP. Consider all these factors: 22 years of incumbency, disgruntled business class due to demonetization and GST glitches, alienated Patidars, a strong bid by Congress to consolidate anti-BJP factions, no Modi in Gujarat. But still, BJP managed to float with the reasonable level of comfort.</p>

<p>Vote share difference between Congress and BJP in 2012 was 9%, whereas in 2017 it is 7.7%. So even with above-mentioned reasons and Congress&rsquo;s brazen attempt to polarise on the caste basis, only 1.3% of the gap could be bridged. True that Congress made some positive dent in BJP&rsquo;s vote bank but as a political analyst puts it clearly that the dent made by BJP in Congress vote bank in Gujarat-2017 is far more sustainable than what Congress made to BJP&rsquo;s vote bank.</p>

<p>So now with the huge and seminal setback in North-East, what is the way forward to Gandhi scion? Actually more than electoral drubbing, the worrisome fact is that there has been no improvement in the functioning of the party.</p>

<p>I veer my narrative to different direction now. There is a narrative, which we tell in management classes to our salespeople.&nbsp;A few years back a Hindi movie with the title &ldquo;Rocket Singh &ndash; Salesman of the year&rdquo; was released. It was directed by Shimit Amin, the man who directed the iconic &ldquo;Chak De India&rdquo; with Shahrukh.&nbsp;Rocket Singh was a simple guy who acts on his instinct, against general stereotypes of a salesman and makes an outstanding connect with his customers.</p>

<p>The core message of the movie was outstanding and touched the chord. It said &ldquo;If you want to be a successful sales guy then don&rsquo;t chase the sales figures. You rather be passionate and make connections with your customer, understand their pain points, be emphatic and transparent and give them a fair deal. If you are able to do so then you don&rsquo;t have to chase sales figures but sales figure would chase you&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The crux of the message was that one needs to put basics in place and everything else will fall in line. In other words, focus on curing the core infection and don&rsquo;t waste your bandwidth in managing symptoms. If the infection is cured, symptoms would fizzle. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is quite spot on and applicable in all fields. &nbsp;Achieving success is no petty game; and as Rocket Singh preached, you just need to correct the basics.</p>

<p>Politics is salesmanship only. Politician chases vote counts the way a salesman chases sales figure. This remains the root cause of failure and prevents the revival.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi and Congress are suffering from this core problem. Year after year, election after election, Rahul Gandhi is repeating the same mistake; not putting the basics correct across the old grand party and blindly chasing the vote count as last-minute attempt under desperation and on behest of his sycophant advisors. &nbsp;</p>

<p>What are those basics?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is the list: first, a strong and compelling narrative to tell the voters; the presence of motivated and strong cadre right up to bottom level. Congress can take a cue from BJP as to how its cadre pulled things in Tripura. Second, the presence of established, strong and vote puller local leaders. Third, relentless efforts to maintain a connection with people &ndash; and lastly, a clear and convincing blueprint of governance if voted to power.</p>

<p>Politics is a funny game and plain arithmetic often fails here. For Rahul, Uttar Pradesh was the glaring example, before he drew his Gujarat plans. His mindless alliance with Samajwadi Party fell flat. Moreover, it demoralised and marginalised whatever little cadre Congress had in UP.</p>

<p>The only way Rahul Gandhi can resurrect the organisation is to by simply putting basics correct without any fear of electoral drubbing. In the process of course correction, if he loses few more election, it won&rsquo;t make a difference. He need not blindly chase vote counts. Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him.</p>

<p>Time is running thick and fast. General Election is just 14 months away and if Congress does not recover in 2019, the process of decline will become irreversible. &nbsp;</p>

<p>And yes, politics is 24x7 occupation, Rahul. Your party comes first before anything else so stop flying abroad every now and then. It is so demoralising for the cadre that news of drubbing is coming in and leader is vacationing abroad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him.

After a long wait and keeping people guessing, Rahul Gandhi became Congress president in December, ostensibly via an internal election process. Congress was founded by A.O. Hume on 28th December 1985, so it has completed 132 years few days after the coronation of Rahul. Congress celebrated the day at their office at Akbar Road. As such it is a sort of farce that present day’s Congress claims the legacy of the party which was founded in 1885; neither the people are same nor the ideology. Moreover, Indira Gandhi brought tectonic changes in the core ideology of the party for all times to come during the late seventies. Now, come to the events during the first three days of March 2018. First, the Gandhi scion flew to Italy, supposedly to surprise his Nani (Grand Mother) on the Holi weekend. It was anybody’s guess that he was out on a vacation under the garb of meeting his Nani. While Rahul was vacationing, the poll results were out for three north-eastern states. The left had a serious drubbing in Tripura as they lost out its old bastion of Tripura to BJP but there was a serious setback to Congress overall. End of the day it’s not CPI/CPM but it is Congress who is relevant in the discussions as Congress is the alternative at the national level and not Left Parties. Congress lost heavily in all three states. The major sign of worry for Congress is that they simply allowed BJP to take full advantage of anti-incumbency in Tripura. It was another reality check for an old grand party, who has been gloating as such after success in Rajasthan by-polls. The Ostrich Syndrome is pervasive in Congress and with little success, Rahul and his coterie of sycophants start telling themselves “hey, we are recovering” and then realty would bite them hard and they fall prey to the real challenge. It has been happening for years. Two months back Rahul and company were telling the whole world that they almost defeated Modi in Gujarat. However, on the bit of analysis, it becomes clear that even in Gujarat, it has been a significant victory for Modi and BJP. Consider all these factors: 22 years of incumbency, disgruntled business class due to demonetization and GST glitches, alienated Patidars, a strong bid by Congress to consolidate anti-BJP factions, no Modi in Gujarat. But still, BJP managed to float with the reasonable level of comfort. Vote share difference between Congress and BJP in 2012 was 9%, whereas in 2017 it is 7.7%. So even with above-mentioned reasons and Congress’s brazen attempt to polarise on the caste basis, only 1.3% of the gap could be bridged. True that Congress made some positive dent in BJP’s vote bank but as a political analyst puts it clearly that the dent made by BJP in Congress vote bank in Gujarat-2017 is far more sustainable than what Congress made to BJP’s vote bank. So now with the huge and seminal setback in North-East, what is the way forward to Gandhi scion? Actually more than electoral drubbing, the worrisome fact is that there has been no improvement in the functioning of the party. I veer my narrative to different direction now. There is a narrative, which we tell in management classes to our salespeople. A few years back a Hindi movie with the title “Rocket Singh – Salesman of the year” was released. It was directed by Shimit Amin, the man who directed the iconic “Chak De India” with Shahrukh. Rocket Singh was a simple guy who acts on his instinct, against general stereotypes of a salesman and makes an outstanding connect with his customers. The core message of the movie was outstanding and touched the chord. It said “If you want to be a successful sales guy then don’t chase the sales figures. You rather be passionate and make connections with your customer, understand their pain points, be emphatic and transparent and give them a fair deal. If you are able to do so then you don’t have to chase sales figures but sales figure would chase you”. The crux of the message was that one needs to put basics in place and everything else will fall in line. In other words, focus on curing the core infection and don’t waste your bandwidth in managing symptoms. If the infection is cured, symptoms would fizzle. This is quite spot on and applicable in all fields. Achieving success is no petty game; and as Rocket Singh preached, you just need to correct the basics. Politics is salesmanship only. Politician chases vote counts the way a salesman chases sales figure. This remains the root cause of failure and prevents the revival. Rahul Gandhi and Congress are suffering from this core problem. Year after year, election after election, Rahul Gandhi is repeating the same mistake; not putting the basics correct across the old grand party and blindly chasing the vote count as last-minute attempt under desperation and on behest of his sycophant advisors. What are those basics? Here is the list: first, a strong and compelling narrative to tell the voters; the presence of motivated and strong cadre right up to bottom level. Congress can take a cue from BJP as to how its cadre pulled things in Tripura. Second, the presence of established, strong and vote puller local leaders. Third, relentless efforts to maintain a connection with people – and lastly, a clear and convincing blueprint of governance if voted to power. Politics is a funny game and plain arithmetic often fails here. For Rahul, Uttar Pradesh was the glaring example, before he drew his Gujarat plans. His mindless alliance with Samajwadi Party fell flat. Moreover, it demoralised and marginalised whatever little cadre Congress had in UP. The only way Rahul Gandhi can resurrect the organisation is to by simply putting basics correct without any fear of electoral drubbing. In the process of course correction, if he loses few more election, it won’t make a difference. He need not blindly chase vote counts. Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him. Time is running thick and fast. General Election is just 14 months away and if Congress does not recover in 2019, the process of decline will become irreversible. And yes, politics is 24x7 occupation, Rahul. Your party comes first before anything else so stop flying abroad every now and then. It is so demoralising for the cadre that news of drubbing is coming in and leader is vacationing abroad. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What Rahul Gandhi can learn from 'Rocket Singh' about elections?

<p>UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP&#39;s &quot;historic&quot; performance in northeastern states to &quot;development-oriented&quot; policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and &quot;organisational skills&quot; of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.</p>

<p>He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-says-will-form-next-government-in-meghalaya-34613">BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya</a></p>

<p>&quot;After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party&#39;s good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">bid</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569"> to form </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">government</a></p>

<p>He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP&#39;s job easier.</p>

<p>&quot;Under Rahul Gandhi&#39;s presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states,&quot; Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of &quot;happiness&quot; for the saffron party.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557">Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi&#39;s leadership, says Amit Shah</a></p>

<p>&quot;The BJP&#39;s sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The</p>

<p>UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party&#39;s &quot;sterling performance&quot;.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">BJP breaches &#39;Red Fort&#39; in Tripura, set to end </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">25-year</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552"> Left rule</a></p>

<p>He said the &#39;lotus&#39; will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah.</p>

<p>&quot;That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India&#39;s 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time.</p>

<p>Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week&#39;s Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>&quot;Who doesn&#39;t know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons),&quot; he said without elaborating.</p>

<p>His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back.</p>

<p>On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as &quot;ker-ber&quot; (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel.</p>

<p>Asked for which parties he used the expression &quot;ker&quot; and &quot;ber&quot;, Adityanath smilingly said, &quot;It&#39;s for you to judge.&quot;</p>

<p>Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.<br />
The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.</p>


Yogi Adityanath also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP's "historic" performance in northeastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party. Also read: BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya "After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future," he said. The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Also read: Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP's job easier. "Under Rahul Gandhi's presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states," Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of "happiness" for the saffron party. Also read: Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership, says Amit Shah "The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said. Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party's "sterling performance". Also read: BJP breaches 'Red Fort' in Tripura, set to end 25-year Left rule He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah. "That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said. After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India's 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time. Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week's Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. "Who doesn't know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons)," he said without elaborating. His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back. On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as "ker-ber" (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel. Asked for which parties he used the expression "ker" and "ber", Adityanath smilingly said, "It's for you to judge." Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

'Lotus will bloom in Karnataka, Kerala; Rahul's Congress on path of defeat'

<p>Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t see maturity in him,&quot; Biswa added. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> BJP&#39;s Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don&#39;t see maturity in him. <a href="https://t.co/c8TdDewBef">pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970299721381240832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now.</p>

<p>He also added that the number is likely to increase.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/moPYMOYE33">pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970286147023728640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.</p>

<p>Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://t.co/Ou22DLZ8fh">pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970285004692606977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People&#39;s Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.<br />
&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>


Earlier, Congress staked claim to form next government in Meghalaya

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya. Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state. "I don't see maturity in him," Biswa added. #WATCH BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don't see maturity in him. pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now. He also added that the number is likely to increase. 1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × NPP's Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow. BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state. Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of #Meghalaya: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People's Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

'Don't see maturity in Rahul Gandhi': Himanta Biswa on Congress staking claim to form govt in Meghalaya

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP&#39;s impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people&#39;s answer to &quot;fear, lies and confusion&quot; being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now.</p>

<p>In an address to party workers at the BJP&#39;s newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature.</p>

<p>In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states.</p>

<p>The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party&#39;s victories.</p>

<p>In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a &quot;specimen of a Congress chief minister&quot; after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May.</p>

<p>&quot;I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister,&quot; Modi said amid laughter.</p>

<p>Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. &quot;He is a &#39;swatantra fauji&#39; (independent soldier),&quot; Modi said of Singh.</p>

<p>The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it.</p>

<p>Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Fear, lies and confusion were being spread,&quot; he said, an apparent reference to the opposition&#39;s criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes.</p>

<p>When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact &quot;mandetta&quot; as the people have given the mandate to act, he said.</p>

<p>In &#39;vastu shastra&#39;, Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development.</p>

<p>The prime minister charted his party&#39;s phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from &quot;no one to won&quot;.</p>

<p>With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman&#39;s spirit.</p>

<p>Amid a &quot;disinformation&quot; campaign, stories about the BJP&#39;s and its government&#39;s good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development.</p>

<p>He also attributed the party&#39;s performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much.</p>

<p>Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while.</p>

<p>He said the BJP&#39;s win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from &quot;shoonya to shikhara&quot; (zero to peak).</p>

<p>The people of the Northeast supported his government&#39;s &quot;Act East policy&quot; and &quot;politics of performance&quot;, he said.</p>

<p>He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too.</p>

<p>He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah.</p>

<p>The board also took stock of the party&#39;s performance in three states.</p>

<p>Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job.</p>

<p>The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.&nbsp;</p>


The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP's impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people's answer to "fear, lies and confusion" being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now. In an address to party workers at the BJP's newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature. In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states. The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories. In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a "specimen of a Congress chief minister" after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May. "I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister," Modi said amid laughter. Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. "He is a 'swatantra fauji' (independent soldier)," Modi said of Singh. The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it. Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said. "Fear, lies and confusion were being spread," he said, an apparent reference to the opposition's criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes. When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact "mandetta" as the people have given the mandate to act, he said. In 'vastu shastra', Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development. The prime minister charted his party's phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from "no one to won". With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman's spirit. Amid a "disinformation" campaign, stories about the BJP's and its government's good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development. He also attributed the party's performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much. Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while. He said the BJP's win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from "shoonya to shikhara" (zero to peak). The people of the Northeast supported his government's "Act East policy" and "politics of performance", he said. He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too. He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah. The board also took stock of the party's performance in three states. Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job. The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.

Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi

<p>The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland.</p>

<p>The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.</p>

<p>Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today.</p>

<p>The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party&#39;s senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government.</p>

<p>No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland.</p>

<p>The Congress defended Gandhi&#39;s visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother.</p>

<p>The party&#39;s leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents.</p>

<p>The Congress&#39; move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught &quot;napping&quot; in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments.</p>

<p>Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.</p>

<p>Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.</p>

<p>The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said.</p>

<p>No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said.</p>

<p>Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.&nbsp;</p>


The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland. The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party's senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government. No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress defended Gandhi's visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother. The party's leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents. The Congress' move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught "napping" in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments. Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma. Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it. The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said. No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said. Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.

Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the top politicians leading tributes to Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati who passed away on Wednesday morning in a private hospital at Kancheepuram. He was 82.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya was at the forefront of innumerable community service initiatives. He nurtured institutions which transformed the lives of the poor and downtrodden. <a href="https://t.co/s1vTpSxbbl">pic.twitter.com/s1vTpSxbbl</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/968721909633507329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The PM tweeted he was deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kanchi-shankaracharya-jayendra-saraswathi-passes-away-at-82-34290">Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri</a> Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts. Om Shanti to the departed soul.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I&rsquo;m saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.<br />
<br />
He was revered by lakhs of believers all over the world for his teachings.<br />
<br />
May his soul rest in peace.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/968741529530585091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The PM also posted a picture of him interacting with the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/who-was-kanchi-shankaracharya-jayendra-saraswathi-of-kanchi-kamakoti-peetham-kanchipuram-life-biography-34309">chief pontiff of Kanchi Mutt</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to pay his respects to the departed soul.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts. Om Shanti to the departed soul. <a href="https://t.co/pXqDPxS1Ki">pic.twitter.com/pXqDPxS1Ki</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/968721674286895104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In a Twitter post from his official Twitter handle, Rahul Gandhi said that he was saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;I&rsquo;m saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.&#39;&#39; &nbsp;</p>

<p>He was revered by lakhs of believers all over the world for his teachings, he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I pay my respects to Kanchi peethadhipathi Shri Jayendra Saraswati who attained moksha. His contribution for the welfare of mankind and in promoting spirituality will always be an inspiration for others. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JayendraSaraswathi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JayendraSaraswathi</a> <a href="https://t.co/2gcjDFgJmV">pic.twitter.com/2gcjDFgJmV</a></p>
&mdash; VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) <a href="https://twitter.com/VPSecretariat/status/968710033872695296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My respectful Pranaam to the pious soul of Acharya Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JayendraSaraswathi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JayendraSaraswathi</a> Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. His contributions towards enriching the Hindu spiritual traditions and service for poorer sections of society shall always be remembered. Om Shanti!</p>
&mdash; Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/968724241989488640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deeply saddened by the demise of Jayendra Saraswati ji, the Shankaracharya of the Kanchipuram Kamakoti Peetam math. With his demise we have lost a great saint of present times, who has been a guiding force for the millions. My prayers for the liberated soul.</p>
&mdash; Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/968708254292471808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Paying tributes to Jagadguru <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JayendraSaraswathi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JayendraSaraswathi</a>, the seer of Kanchi Mutt. Pujya Swami ji will be remembered for his immeasurable contribution to the society. A great loss to the Spiritual World. <a href="https://t.co/6abIngrqK2">pic.twitter.com/6abIngrqK2</a></p>
&mdash; Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/968735500914880512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The PM tweeted he was deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the top politicians leading tributes to Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati who passed away on Wednesday morning in a private hospital at Kancheepuram. He was 82. Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya was at the forefront of innumerable community service initiatives. He nurtured institutions which transformed the lives of the poor and downtrodden. pic.twitter.com/s1vTpSxbbl — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 28, 2018 × The PM tweeted he was deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts. Om Shanti to the departed soul. I’m saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He was revered by lakhs of believers all over the world for his teachings. May his soul rest in peace. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 28, 2018 × The PM also posted a picture of him interacting with the chief pontiff of Kanchi Mutt. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to pay his respects to the departed soul. Deeply anguished by the passing away of Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya. He will live on in the hearts and minds of lakhs of devotees due to his exemplary service and noblest thoughts. Om Shanti to the departed soul. pic.twitter.com/pXqDPxS1Ki — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 28, 2018 × In a Twitter post from his official Twitter handle, Rahul Gandhi said that he was saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. ''I’m saddened to hear about the death of Jagadguru Pujyashri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.'' He was revered by lakhs of believers all over the world for his teachings, he added. I pay my respects to Kanchi peethadhipathi Shri Jayendra Saraswati who attained moksha. His contribution for the welfare of mankind and in promoting spirituality will always be an inspiration for others. #JayendraSaraswathi pic.twitter.com/2gcjDFgJmV — VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) February 28, 2018 × My respectful Pranaam to the pious soul of Acharya Shri #JayendraSaraswathi Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. His contributions towards enriching the Hindu spiritual traditions and service for poorer sections of society shall always be remembered. Om Shanti! — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 28, 2018 × Deeply saddened by the demise of Jayendra Saraswati ji, the Shankaracharya of the Kanchipuram Kamakoti Peetam math. With his demise we have lost a great saint of present times, who has been a guiding force for the millions. My prayers for the liberated soul. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 28, 2018 × Paying tributes to Jagadguru #JayendraSaraswathi, the seer of Kanchi Mutt. Pujya Swami ji will be remembered for his immeasurable contribution to the society. A great loss to the Spiritual World. pic.twitter.com/6abIngrqK2 — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 28, 2018 ×

Prime Minister Modi leads tributes to Kanchi Shankaracharya

<p>The Congress took a massive sweep and won the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections, winning 62 out of the 95 seats on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.</p>

<p>Also, the Aam Aadmi Party and Independent candidates won eight and four wards respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has hailed the Ludhiana MC results as a &quot;clear vindication of the Congress government&#39;s policies and an endorsement of the pro-people initiatives undertaken by it in the past one year&quot;.</p>

<p>Singh congratulated the Congress workers for the &quot;sweeping victory&quot; in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation election. &quot;The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government,&quot; the Punjab CM tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to all <a href="https://twitter.com/INCPunjab?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCPunjab</a> workers for leading the party to a sweeping victory, winning 62 out of 95 seats, in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ludhiana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ludhiana</a> MC polls. The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government.</p>
&mdash; Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) <a href="https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder/status/968430195366543360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In a statement welcoming the poll results, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also lauded the performance of the party in the MC polls, which they said marked the total annihilation of the opposition parties in the state.</p>

<p>Amarinder termed the victory as a &quot;befitting reply by the people of Punjab to the misdeeds and fabrications of the opposition, which had been trying to mislead them with baseless allegations against the Congress government&quot;. Opposition SAD-BJP and AAP had accused the ruling Congress of rigging the polls.</p>

<p>He described the results as the &quot;proverbial last nail in the political coffins of SAD, AAP and other parties in the fray&quot;. Sidhu welcomed the three independents who had extended support to the Congress.</p>

<p>The election to the cash-rich Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC) in Punjab was held on Saturday. The corporation&#39;s annual budget is pegged at an estimated Rs 1,300 crore.</p>

<p>The election to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation saw a voter turnout of more than 59 per cent. A total of 494 candidates are in the fray with the contest primarily between the ruling Congress, the SAD-BJP alliance, and the Aam Aadmi Party-Lok Insaaf Party alliance.</p>


The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.

The Congress took a massive sweep and won the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections, winning 62 out of the 95 seats on Tuesday. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. Also, the Aam Aadmi Party and Independent candidates won eight and four wards respectively. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has hailed the Ludhiana MC results as a "clear vindication of the Congress government's policies and an endorsement of the pro-people initiatives undertaken by it in the past one year". Singh congratulated the Congress workers for the "sweeping victory" in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation election. "The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government," the Punjab CM tweeted. Congratulations to all @INCPunjab workers for leading the party to a sweeping victory, winning 62 out of 95 seats, in the #Ludhiana MC polls. The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government. — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 27, 2018 × In a statement welcoming the poll results, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also lauded the performance of the party in the MC polls, which they said marked the total annihilation of the opposition parties in the state. Amarinder termed the victory as a "befitting reply by the people of Punjab to the misdeeds and fabrications of the opposition, which had been trying to mislead them with baseless allegations against the Congress government". Opposition SAD-BJP and AAP had accused the ruling Congress of rigging the polls. He described the results as the "proverbial last nail in the political coffins of SAD, AAP and other parties in the fray". Sidhu welcomed the three independents who had extended support to the Congress. The election to the cash-rich Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC) in Punjab was held on Saturday. The corporation's annual budget is pegged at an estimated Rs 1,300 crore. The election to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation saw a voter turnout of more than 59 per cent. A total of 494 candidates are in the fray with the contest primarily between the ruling Congress, the SAD-BJP alliance, and the Aam Aadmi Party-Lok Insaaf Party alliance.

Congress wins in Ludhiana MC polls, wins 62 out of 95 seats

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