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Congress moves to form govt in three states it wrested from BJP

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8 years ago

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Congress moves to form govt in three states it wrested from BJP

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the results of assembly elections finally in, the Congress today (Wednesday, Dec 12) staked its claim to form government in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – although it was yet to decide who the chief minister would be in any of them – where it was just short of the majority mark.

It can afford to wait and finalise its chief ministerial candidate in Chhattisgarh where it had a landslide victory.

In Rajasthan, where the two chief ministerial candidates, Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot, contested and won the assembly polls, the Congress legislature party (CLP) met and passed a resolution leaving the choice of CM to Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

“We have full majority and will stake claim to form government in the evening. We will take along all non-BJP parties and elected members who are against BJP and are willing to support us,” Pilot told reporters at the Pradesh Congress Committee before the Congress Legislative Party meeting.

In Madhya Pradesh, the contenders are veteran Congress leader, its state president and election campaign in-charge Kamal Nath and the younger generation senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia. A Congress delegation led by Kamal Nath met the MP governor Anandiben Patel and staked its claim to form government with the support of 121 MLAs.

Earlier, Shivraj Singh Chouhan submitted his resignation to MP governor Anandiben Patel. Chouhan said he takes full responsibility for BJP’s defeat in Madhya Pradesh, where the party has bagged 109 seats. He also congratulated Congress leader Kamal Nath.

The Congress was two short of majority in both Rajasthan (where it won 99 seats while 101 seats are required for a simple majority in 200-member assembly; elections were held for 199 seats) and in Madhya Pradesh (it won 114 against 116 required for a majority in the 230 member House.)

It obtained the support of Bahujan Samaj Party whose chief Mayawati, followed by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, for government formation in Madhya Pradesh.

Mayawati said her party would support the Congress in Rajasthan also, if need be, to achieve the goal of keeping the BJP away from power.

“We had contested the MP and Rajasthan elections for keeping the BJP away from power. We have now decided to support the Congress in government formation in MP and also in Rajasthan, if the need arises, just to keep the BJP out of power even though we don’t agree with the Congress policies and thoughts.”

Mayawati’s party has won two seats in MP and six in Rajasthan. The SP has won one seat in MP.

Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had not attended the opposition party meet in the capital the day before and have remained upset with the Congress for failed seat-sharing talks in MP and Chhattisgarh earlier. The two parties have thawed since Tuesday’s results which have given the Congress successes in the Hindi heartland.

In Chhattisgarh, the Congress had a landslide victory and now the question facing it is whom to hand over the chief minister’s post.

There are three prominent leaders jockeying for the top post. The first among these is TS Singhdeo, Congress Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, who won his seat from Ambikapur. Many in the party believe that Singhdeo, from the royal family of Surguja, is a frontrunner for his contribution to the party manifesto.

Singhdeo anchored the “Janghoshna Patra” campaign, putting together a manifesto after meeting people across the state. Many within the party believe that it is the promises made to farmers in the manifesto that helped the landslide win, with reports also abounding of Singhdeo helping several MLAs financially.

The Congress also strengthened its hold on the reserved Scheduled Tribe seats, increasing its tally in Bastar from eight to 11 seats.

From North Chhattisgarh, his supporters argue that it was only Singhdeo who criss-crossed the state to campaign, as other leaders stayed within their constituencies. In North Chhattisgarh, the Congress won at least 13 of the 14 seats at last count, with one seat in the balance according to ECI data.

His primary opposition within the party comes from PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel, an OBC leader who took over the reins of the party after its entire leadership was wiped out in a Maoist attack in Darbha in 2013. Baghel’s supporters argue that he has kept up the pressure against Chief Minister Raman Singh, attacking him on issues of corruption and misgovernance.

However, there is the sense within the Congress that Baghel is prone to controversy, and it is in this context that AICC OBC cell chief Tamradhwaj Sahu is being seen as a dark horse in the running. It was Sahu who won the party’s only Lok Sabha seat in 2014. He was given a ticket this time, replacing a candidate who had earlier been announced.

While Sahu may not have led the party during this campaign, many believe that he can emerge as the consensus OBC Chief Minister, given the predominance of OBCs in the state, and a Lok Sabha election next year.

Meanwhile, CM Raman Singh said he took moral responsibility for the BJP’s loss and sent his resignation to the Governor’s office. “When we won three times, the credit went to me, and therefore, I must take responsibility for this loss. This election was fought under my leadership,” he said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

16 hours ago

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August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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Assam BJP leader Bikash Dhar found dead, 5 arrested for murder

BJP leader Bikash Dhar, 52, was found dead in an abandoned house in Assam’s Sribhumi district after being reported missing on August 12. Police have arrested five people in connection with the alleged murder.

Published

1 day ago

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August 14, 2026

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A 52-year-old BJP leader who had been missing for two days was found dead in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Friday, with police alleging that he was murdered.

Bikash Dhar, a resident of Chagalmowa village under Bazaricherra police station, was found dead inside an abandoned house in the Yogicherra area near the Tripura border on Friday morning.

Dhar’s family had filed a missing complaint on August 12 after he left home following a phone call.

According to his son Madan Dhar, Bikash left around 1 pm after saying that he had to attend an emergency meeting. When he did not return and his phone was switched off, the family began searching for him and later approached the police.

Five arrested in murder case

Sribhumi Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said an investigation was launched after the missing complaint was received. The probe was conducted under the supervision of the Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime).

Police said five people have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder. They were identified as Abdul Salam, Sifat Ali, Abdul Ahad, Saiful Ali and Badrul Haque.

According to the police, interrogation of Abdul Salam revealed that the accused had an enmity with Dhar. Police alleged that the group killed him and dumped his body near a water body.

Another person, identified as Sunam Miya, was named during the investigation and reportedly fled to Tripura on the night of the incident.

Police find injury and cut marks on body

Police said injury and cut marks were found on Dhar’s body, and a murder case has been registered.

During the recovery of the alleged weapon, police said accused Badrul Haque attempted to escape from custody. A police constable was injured during the incident.

Police said they fired at Haque’s leg to prevent him from escaping, resulting in a bullet wound.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dhar’s death and the alleged involvement of the accused is underway.

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Karnataka Cabinet clears public property bill amid RSS registration row

Karnataka Cabinet approves a Bill to regulate the use of government premises and public property amid a political row over RSS registration.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 14, 2026

By

Priyank Kharge

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a proposed law to regulate the use of government premises and public property in the state, amid an ongoing political debate over the registration and use of public spaces by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026 was cleared by the Cabinet, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said after the meeting.

According to the government, the proposed legislation aims to establish a legal framework governing the use of government lands, buildings, playgrounds, parks, roads and other public assets by private individuals, organisations, associations and societies.

Kharge said the objective was to prevent unauthorised use and misuse of public property while ensuring that such assets are protected for public benefit.

What the Karnataka public property bill proposes

The proposed legislation is expected to lay down procedures for obtaining permission to use government property for events, meetings and other activities.

It also proposes provisions for penalties in cases involving misuse of government premises or damage to public property, according to officials.

The government is expected to introduce the Bill in the Karnataka legislature, where it will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Priyank Kharge denies Bill targets RSS

The proposed legislation comes against the backdrop of a row involving the RSS and its use of public property in Karnataka.

Kharge, however, rejected speculation that the Bill had been framed specifically against the RSS or any other organisation. He said the government did not have a particular institution, association, organisation, society, club, union, syndicate or NGO in mind.

The issue has been part of a wider political debate since 2025, with Kharge opposing the use of government premises and public property by the RSS and calling for the organisation to register formally.

In June, Kharge also wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking clarity on the organisation’s legal status, financial transparency and constitutional accountability.

The development is likely to keep the debate over the use of public property and the legal status of organisations in Karnataka in focus as the proposed legislation moves to the state legislature.

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