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Fresh trouble for Congress in Meghalaya as 5 MLAs resign

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Fresh trouble for Congress in Meghalaya as 5 MLAs resign

Meghalaya goes to polls early next year; resignations are likely to hit chief minister Mukul Sangma-led Congress party’s chance of retaining power in the state

At a time when the Congress party has been celebrating the limited revival of its political fortunes in the recently concluded Gujarat Assembly polls, where it showed a remarkable upswing in its vote-share despite losing the election, it received a major setback on Friday from Meghalaya – one of the few states left where the Grand Old Party is still in power.

Reducing chief minister Mukul Sangma’s government to a minority, five of the Congress’ 30 legislators in the north-eastern state resigned on Friday. The legislators, including deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh, blamed the chief minister’s “autocratic style of functioning” for their decision and indicated that they, along with three other legislators who have also resigned, will be joining the Opposition National People’s Party at a mega-rally scheduled to be held next week.

The resignation of the five Congress MLAs has reduced the strength of the ruling party in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly to 24 as they come days after another party legislator PN Syiem also quit from his seat in the house.

Three other MLAs, including one from the United Democratic Party and two Independents, have also tendered their resignations from the House, Assembly Principal Secretary Andrew Simons told news agency PTI.

Rowell, a veteran Congress leader of the state, has announced that all the eight MLAs who resigned on Friday will join the National People’s Party (NPP).

The resignations clearly come as a sign of worry for the Congress – both nationally and in Meghalaya – as the party has been miserably failing to wrest power in states against the victory march of the BJP which started in 2014 with Narendra Modi leading his party to power at the Centre. The Grand Old Party, which marked its 133rd Foundation Day just earlier this week days after Rahul Gandhi was elected to be its president, has recently lost power in Himachal Pradesh. The only big state where the party is now in power is Karnataka – which goes to polls early next year along with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura – albeit its chances of retaining hold of the southern state are also debatable at the moment.

What would certainly come as a greater cause of worry for the Congress party and especially Rahul Gandhi is the prevailing buzz in the political grapevine that the NPP could enter into a pre-poll or a post-poll alliance with the BJP in Meghalaya. The desertions from the Congress to the NPP make the regional outfit a strong contender for victory in Meghalaya, where the term of the assembly is set to end on March 6.

If the NPP wins the state poll at enters into an alliance with the BJP, it could mark the saffron party’s second electoral win in the north-east, after its landslide victory in Assam – which too, like Meghalaya, was a Congress bastion. Such an eventuality will also take the BJP’s tally of state governments under its control to an unprecedented 20, making Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear even more invincible at the hustings than he currently looks like.

The five Congress MLAs who resigned on Friday had earlier rebelled against chief minister Mukul Sangma and the party leadership. Four of the five Congress Legislators were part of the state Cabinet earlier and had been sulking ever since Sangma once sacked them on alleged ground of incompetence.

“Eight MLAs submitted their resignation to me at the office of the Speaker today. The Speaker was on a tour and was not available at his office… the resignations have also been emailed to Speaker Abu Mondal,” Assembly Principal Secretary Andrew Simons said.

Three other MLAs who quit are Remington Pyngrope (UDP) and two Independents– Stephanson Mukhim and Hopeful Bamon.

“We are joining the NPP on January 4 at a rally at Pologrounds,” Rowell told reporters, adding that it was a difficult decision to leave the Congress but he was compelled to do so “because of the people.”

Hitting out at chief minister Mukul Sangma, the former deputy chief minister said, “The autocratic style of functioning of the chief minister had made it difficult for me and others to function in the government.”

He also slammed the state Congress president DD Lapang, who he alleged gave in to the diktats of the chief minister and went ahead and dissolved the block Congress committee in many constituencies including his.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Sunita Kejriwal holds maiden Lok Sabha election roadshow in Delhi

Sunita Kejriwal will also hold a road show in West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday. AAP party leaders said Sunita Kejriwal will also spearhead the campaign for AAP candidates in South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies as well as in Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.

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Aam Aadmi Party began its campaign for 3rd phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Saturday with Sunita Kejriwal, wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holding a roadshow in Delhi. In a massive rally, Sunita Kejriwal was be seen standing on a vehicle holding her hands and greeting the people of the area. AAP’s East Delhi candidate Kuldeep Kumar was seen sitting on the vehicle as he showcased a portrait of Rani Laxmibai.

Earlier ahead of Sunita Kejrieal’s roadshow, Kuldeep Kumar told the media that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who worked to provide the best school, and free- electricity to the people of Delhi has been framed in a fake case by BJP. Kumar further added that from today onwards Sunita Kejriwal’s roadshow will start and she is going to seek support and blessings from the Delhi people to continue its fight against the BJP government.

Aam Aadmi Party workers also staged a protest under the banner of Jail ka jawab vote se near Delhi’s Lakshmi Nagar area on Saturday against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with an excise policy case.

After the Delhi CM’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the liquor policy case in March, Sunita Kejriwal has taken up a more prominent role in campaigning activities for the Aam Aadmi Party. Since the Delhi CM’s arrest, Atishi and other AAP leaders have alleged that the arrest was made so that to the AAP Supremo can be prevented from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to judicial custody until May 7.

Sunita Kejriwal will also hold a road show in West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday. AAP party leaders said Sunita Kejriwal will also spearhead the campaign for AAP candidates in South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies as well as in Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. She is emerging as a star campaigner for Aam Aadmi Party.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Mallikarjun Kharge says candidates for Amethi, Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days

On being asked about the names of the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies Mallikarjun Kharge said the people will have to wait for a few more days. He said when the names of candidates come from people to him and he will sign the notification, then the announcement will be made.

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the candidates for prestigious Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days. He was addressing a press conference where he claimed that though the BJP says the corrupt must be put in jails, when leaders facing corruption charges join the saffron party, they are put on the lap and sent to Rajya Sabha or assembly.

On being asked about the names of the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies he said the people will have to wait for a few more days. He said when the names of candidates come from people to him and he will sign the notification, then the announcement will be made.

On being questioned about Congress leaders changing constituencies Kharge asked how many times have Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani changed their seats. His response came when asked about the BJP criticising Rahul Gandhi for fighting the elections from Kerala’s Wayanad instead of Amethi. Referring to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kharge said the Congress is not affected by people who grew up in the party and left it later.

The Congress president launched an all round attack on the BJP and PM Modi and said the prime minister did not implement even one of his electoral promises and still says Modi did a lot of work for the country. Addressing the press conference he said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, but Congress is a party of those who made India independent. He said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, for the development of India. The Congress President said the BJP speaks so much about patriotism and that the contribution of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri is nothing before them.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Priyanka Gandhi accuses BJP of planning to change the Constitution, criticises PM Modi for inflation

Priyanka Gandhi was speaking at an election rally at Dharampur village of tribal dominated Valsad district held in support of Congress candidate for ST-reserved Valsad Lok Sabha seat, Anant Patel.

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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday said the BJP may be denying it now, but the party will change the Constitution if it returns to power. She targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over inflation and called him the mehengai man.

Gandhi said the BJP leaders and candidates are saying that they will change the Constitution. She said PM Modi is denying it and this is BJP’s tactic. Priyanka Gandhi was speaking at an election rally at Dharampur village of tribal dominated Valsad district, Gujarat held in support of Congress candidate for ST-reserved Valsad Lok Sabha seat, Anant Patel.

Gandhi said first the BJP will deny what they want to do. But after coming to power they will implement it. She further added the BJP wants to change the constitution to weaken the common people and deprive them of their rights given in the Constitution. She said the BJP leaders project the Prime Minister as powerful and say that chutki bajake ladai rukwa dete hai (he can stop the Russia- Ukraine war with the snap of his fingers). She asked why is Prime Minister unable to remove poverty just like that?

Priyanka Gandhi claimed the tribal population in Gujarat which is Modi’s home state and the whole country is suffering from issues like rising inflation, unemployment, low remumberation, loss of land, violence against women and other atrocities. She highlighted the Congress manifesto and said it addresses issues faced by the tribal population.

She assured the people that the Congress will bring schemes like MGNREGA for urban areas where families will get 100 days of guaranteed work. She said the Congress is committed to filing about 30 lakh vacancies in government jobs, providing subsidised diesel to fishermen and take the minimum wage to Rs 400. Gandhi said the Congress is going to work out sub plans for Scheduled Tribes and scheduled castes.

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