Rahul Gandhi News

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a joint press conference with INDIA bloc partner, Samajwadi Party, launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling the BJP's leader's recent interview 'scripted and flop show.' «A few days ago, the Prime Minister gave a very long interview to ANI. It was scripted, but it was a flop show. The Prime Minister tried to explain electoral bonds in it. The Prime Minister says that the system of electoral bonds was brought for transparency, to clean politics,» said Rahul Gandhi. Continuing his comments on PM Modi, the Congress leader remaked that if this is true then why was that system cancelled by the Supreme Court. «And secondly, if you wanted to bring transparency then why did you hide the names of those who gave money to BJP. And why did you hide the dates on which they gave you the money?.. This is the biggest extortion scheme in the world. All the businessmen of India understand and know this and no matter how much clarification the Prime Minister wants to give, it will not make any difference. Because the entire country knows that the Prime Minister is the champion of corruption,» said Rahul Gandhi.

Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday used the analogy of a train to take a dig at the opposition INDIA bloc, saying that in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's train, every ally considers itself to be the engine. He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the «powerful engine of development» followed by the coaches of allies, including the Shiv Sena, NCP, RPI (Athawale) and other regional parties. Fadnavis, who was campaigning for BJP candidates Ram Satpute and Ranjit Naik-Nimbalkar, said persons from all castes and religions have seats in the Mahayuti's train.

Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband, Robert Vadra, has hinted about a political debut in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Stating that while he has attempted to stay away from politics he has not ruled out entering the electoral fray if the party feels he can bring about a change. If given a chance, he said he would pick Moradabad and Haryana to contest from. «I have stayed away from politics, but different political parties wanted to pull me into politics and used tactics to trouble me for being connected to the Gandhi family. I have always been treated as a political tool and a soft target or hard target whenever there is an election,» Vadra said, speaking to on Tuesday. The son-in-law of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said he felt he could give such critics a better response politically as an MP.

Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Monday said the people of Amethi want him to represent them and the decision to become a candidate in the Lok Sabha polls will be taken at the right time. Vadra visited holy city Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh and had a 'darshan' of Lord Banke Bihari. He saw Thakurji's 'Shringar Aarti' and said be it Ayodhya or Mathura, he looks at every place in the same way. The Congress is yet to declare its candidates either from Amethi or Raebareli, the two pocket boroughs of the Nehru-Gandhi family. There are speculations about Priyanka Gandhi's brother Rahul Gandhi contesting again from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to Union minister Smriti Irani, who has again been fielded by the BJP from the constituency.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the BJP poll manifesto does not have anything for the poor but talks about bidding for the 2036 Olympics. The BJP was keen on pushing its agenda of «One nation, one election,» he said accusing the ruling dispensation at the Centre, during his brief visit to Nilgiris district. «What are the BJP's policies for the poor?» Gandhi asked during his interaction with college students at Thaloor here before proceeding to Wayanad in Kerala. The Congress manifesto has policies for all sections of the people including the youth and women. «But the BJP election manifesto talks about holding Olympics in 2036. This is the difference between the Congress and the BJP,» he said.

LiveMint to track live updates on Lok Sabha elections. Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today address a public rally at Agasthiarpatti near Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The PM will arrive at Thoothukudi airport by a special flight from where he would reach the Cambridge Matriculation Higher Secondary School grounds to address public.

Lok Sabha elections in the country, CPI candidate from Wayanad Lok Sabha Seat Annie Raja launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his candidature from the same constituency and said that the people are very disappointed with the performance of their representative (Rahul Gandhi). «People elected him with a huge majority… Sometimes they show anger because they are very disappointed with the performance of their representative, Rahul Gandhi. So it is for the people to judge,» she lashed out. She further stated that there is a lot of scope for the left front to take up the issues, whether it is the question of the human-animal conflict or the railway line. These are all issues that need to be taken up in the Parliament, not in the Kerala Assembly.

INDIA bloc has failed to gain much traction as its important allies JD(U) and RLD have walked out. He asserted that India needs greater empowerment for the underprivileged through better education, healthcare, and gender equity. “A cast census might be an exercise to consider.

BJP) has revealed its 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during an event held at the party headquarters in Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alongside other senior party members, graced the occasion, coinciding with B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said loans of farmers will be waived if his party comes to power at the Centre. Addressing a rally in Sakoli in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, he said the main issues plaguing the people of the country were unemployment and inflation, though these were ignored by the media. «Loans of farmers will be waived if the Congress comes to power. People are distressed due to unemployment and inflation. The situation is such that people earning just thousands and those making crores are paying the same GST,» he said while attacking the NDA government at the Centre. Gandhi said his party would conduct a caste census after attaining power since it is important for the future of the country. Slamming the Centre's Agnipath programme, in which soldiers called 'Agniveers' are recruited for four years, Gandhi said it would be scrapped since «the Army was not in its favour».

Purnea Lok Sabha seat, former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav asserted that he still considers himself «a soldier of the Congress» and will remain with the party till his last breath. According to a seat-sharing arrangement agreed upon by the opposition INDIA bloc constituents in the state, the RJD nominated JD(U) turncoat Bima Bharti from Purnea, denying the seat to the Congress. Yadav, who recently joined the grand old party, blamed RJD president Lalu Prasad for the apparent cracks in the opposition bloc in Purnea. «I am a soldier of the Congress and its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. I will remain (ideologically) with the party till my last breath. The ideology of the Congress is in my blood. I had never wanted a situation to emerge in Purnea where the INDIA bloc's constituents could be seen fighting each other, like in West Bengal and Kerala,» Yadav said in an interview with PTI.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scheduled to unveil its election manifesto, known as the "Sankalp Patra," on April 14 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, according to sources. The manifesto committee, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, has already held two meetings. The BJP has received over 1.5 million suggestions for its manifesto, including more than 400,000 through the NaMo app and over 1.1 million through videos. According to party sources, the BJP's manifesto will focus on development, a prosperous India, women, youth, the poor, and farmers. The party pledges to fulfil only those promises that are achievable. The theme of the manifesto will be «Modi's Guarantee: Developed India 2047,» with a focus on cultural nationalism.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took a break from his hectic campaigning in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and visited a sweet shop in Singanallur. The owner, Babu, expressed his surprise at the sudden and unannounced visit of the Congress leader. «We were pleasantly surprised when Rahul Gandhi came by. He was probably visiting Coimbatore for a meeting. Since he likes (Gulab) Jamun, he bought a kilo of the sweet. He sampled the other sweets on display as well. I was happy that he came by. Our staff, too, were happy to see him. He was here for 25-30 minutes. We had no clue he would stop by and were all taken by surprise. We asked him not to pay but he insisted. He paid the whole amount,» the shop owner told ANI. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had criticized the BJP, labeling the Centre's electoral bond scheme as the «single biggest act of corruption done by anybody in the world». He made these remarks at a public meeting in Coimbatore, where he accused the BJP of operating a «washing machine» to cleanse the political system.

Ajay Rai on Friday mocked BJP leader Smriti Irani who has been constantly attacking Rahul Gandhi and the grand old party during her campaigns for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Irani is BJP's candidate from Amethi. Mocking Irani, Rai said that she is «seems to be losing her mental balance and PM Modi should get her treated by a good doctor». Rai was reacting to Smriti Irani's statement today in which he accused Rahul Gandhi of ignoring Amethi. Earlier, Irani said when a minister from Karnataka asked Rahul Gandhi why he was contesting elections from Wayanad, he replied that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. «I want to ask, are the people of the area from where he was MP for 15 years not loyal? Are they traitors?» Irani asked.

Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the 'Mughal' mindset of INDIA bloc leaders Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav and his son, Tejashwi Yadav for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and teasing them by cooking mutton during Sawan and eating fish during Navratri. PM Modi said that these leaders are inspired by a 'Mughal' mindset and they enjoy hurting the sentiments of the people. Prime Minister's remarks were about Rahul Gandhi's visit to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, where he cooked mutton at the latter's residence on September 2, 2023. The Wayanad MP had also shared a video in this regard on his YouTube channel.

PM Modi scheduled to address an election rally at Modi Stadium in Udhampur on April 12: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for a series of high-profile political rallies in this region. Ravinder Raina, the BJP's Jammu and Kashmir chief, revealed that the party has mobilised its cadre for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rally on Wednesday, April 12, in Kathua.

Tamil Nadu Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday hit out at AIADMK and BJP government and said that the DMK government sought compensation of Rs 37,000 crore from the Centre when natural disaster Cyclone Michaung struck Tamil Nadu twice in December last year but the Union Government has not released even a single penny. Adressing a roadshow in Kanniyakumari, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, «There was a cyclone in Chennai and even floods in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli. We demanded 37,000 crores as compensation. The Union Government didn't even give a paisa till now.» «You all know how much the cyclone made an impact. During that time then the State Government AIADMK and Union BJP government didn't warn about the cyclone. Many fishermen belonging to Kanniyakumari at that time in the middle of the sea were fishing unaware of the cyclone. Many lost their life and still count missing is not known. At that time our Leader MK Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came and visited the affected areas. Even PM Modi visited but did not even announce any relief funds. Just not even in helicopter he visited the affected area. Just took pictures with the Helicopter. Till now no funds have been allocated. Do we need such a shameful Union government? The time has come to remove them which is April 19,» he said.

Kerala's Wayanad, while Sonia Gandhi made the move to Rajya Sabha, dropping out of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, leaving the Rae Bareli seat vacant. Rahul Gandhi was declared as the Wayanad candidate for Congress in the Lok Sabha polls, resting apprehensions that the Congress leader would be fielded to take on BJP's Smriti Irani again. In 2014, Rahul Gandhi has won the Amethi seat, his third time, defeating Smriti Irani.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP-led Centre on Thursday, saying farmers are asking for a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, youngsters are seeking employment, women want relief from inflation, but no one is listening. The upcoming Lok Sabha polls are about protecting the country's Constitution and democracy, the former Congress chief said. «It is an election of the backwards, Dalits, tribals and poor people in the general category,» he said, addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Bikaner. Gandhi said the bank accounts of the Congress have been frozen.

Coimbatore, where BJP has fielded its Tamil Nadu chief, DMK has taken the seat back from ally CPIM to put its own candidate and AIADMK has its IT wing head in the fray. CPIM's PR Natarajan, backed by DMK, had won the Lok Sabha seat in 2019 with a vote share of 45.66%, with BJP's CP Radhakrishnan coming in second, getting 31.34% of the votes polled. In this election, DMK has fielded Ganapathy P Rajkumar, a former Coimbatore mayor who joined the party in 2020 after leaving AIADMK, going against its decade-long seat-sharing agreement with CPM for the seat, possibly anticipating a tough fight owing to BJP candidate Annamalai's growing popularity. AIADMK candidate is Singai Ramachandran. Annamalai is predicting BJP to win the seat with 60% votes. Coimbatore, comprising the assembly segments of Coimbatore South, Coimbatore North, Kavundampalayam, Singanallur, Sulur and Palladam, is one of the constituencies in the South where BJP is putting a lot of focus, making its rival parties also to be on high alert. The constituency has seen repeated visits by high-profile leaders to back their candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Coimbatore again on Wednesday. TN chief minister MK Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold a joint rally of the INDIA bloc in the city on Friday in support of Rajkumar.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he should have first seen the deeds of his ancestors before taking out the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He asserted it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who worked to unite India in the last 10 years. He has brought people closer, Saini said. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar in support of the BJP candidate Bhupendra Yadav, Saini targeted Gandhi, saying, «First he took out Bharat Jodo Yatra and now he is talking about justice. It is being said in the Congress manifesto that they will give justice to the people of the country. Before taking out Bharat Jodo Yatra, he should have first seen the deeds of his ancestors.» Saini claimed that during the 55-year rule of the Congress, one had to stand in line for three days to get an LPG cylinder. «Modi not only ended the line but also gave gas cylinders to mothers and sisters. Modi has worked to secure the country's borders,» he said.